Kosei
by SithHappens96
Summary: Naruto characters in Studio Ghibli movies starting with Howl's moving castle as followed by the Original character Kosei Ao who thought that her life would be series of mundane events and not a series of adventures. She is cursed by the wicked wizard Orochimaru and the only one who can help her is Kakashi and his apprentices but in the process she may end up saving him.
1. Chapter 1

Kosei

Kakashi's Moving Castle

The Naruto characters end up in Studio Ghibli worlds and each of them plays a specific character that are followed by Kosei who is the older child of a family which means she is doomed to lead a mundane life. Going against fate and tradition however she ends up with a curse that only the great wizard Kakashi can break despite all the rumors regarding his person and yet she ends up saving him from his curse with the help of his apprentices who later embark on their own adventures in order to find their places in the world as well as their loved ones. Pairings include, KakaOc, Naruhina, Sasusaku, Shikatema, Nejiten and others.

 **A/N: I have to say I got the idea from several fan arts and I really hope that you like this! If you do, please let me know so that I can continue or not. Even if there is something you don't like, you can still let me know so that I can improve the story based on what you would like to see! Also i do not own anything from Naruto to Studio Ghibli movies, just the OC characters. Thank you!**

Chapter 1

It was a truth universally known that in Ingari the youngest children were always destined for adventures whereas the older ones were simply to carry on whatever their parents had been doing before them. And Kosei wasn't supposed to be the exception to this rule yet marvelous adventures would lie before her without her even imagining that she would have the chance to escape from her little hat shop in Market Chipping, north of the Wastes which was a small trading town north of the capital Kingsbury.

That fine summer's day, Kosei was working on a new hat stitching and embroidering, all alone in her small room before a desk which had another dozen hats piled up and ready to be sold to the ladies of the kingdom. Her desk was in front of a window staring at the hills north of the Market Chipping railroad and a thin fog had set on those hills giving them a mysterious appearance to the rest of the sunlit town. As the fog slowly faded, a moving castle of metal and wooden masses passed through without causing any unrest just as it did every day at that time. Kosei however didn't notice a thing since she was fully concentrated on her fine work.

She liked her little window and the view it offered yet she kept it closed because of the fogs released by the train as it passed from the station nearby. Ravenous dark hair was combed in a messy braid because most of the time her hair refused to cooperate, and a white apron fashioned her navy blue dress as she worked. She was currently stitching faux lilies on a red hat and she hoped that it would be all the trend with the ladies in Ingari.

A knock on her door disrupted her work and she turned to see that it was one of the ladies working for her adoptive mother. She was a plump woman wearing one of the hats that was made in this very shop by her and a striped dress. "Kosei san? I've closed up the shop," the woman said and Kosei smiled at her politely just as she was taught since childhood. "You should come too, Kosei san!" The woman urged.

"I'll just finish this," Kosei said raising the hat that she was working on, "Go have some fun!" She said making it clear that she wouldn't be joining the other workers. It was a habit of theirs to ask her to come with them after work for tea and cake but Kosei would always kindly reject their proposals not because she didn't like them or the idea of having fun but she simply found that she had other things to do like run this shop properly while her adoptive mother was away.

"All right then, I'm off!" The woman sadly greeted her "I'm going!" She called from out of Kosei's room at the other women working on the shop.

"Ah, wait…" one of them shouted at her and Kosei smiled even wider at the liveliness of the shop that day.

"Look, its Kakashi's castle." Kosei heard Ayame's voice who had probably come to pick up her new hat which had been a gift from her father's who worked at a ramen restaurant newly opened here in the Wastes.

"What? Kakashi, where, where?" Another one beamed and they all went running for the window where they could take a good look. "Look how close it is!"

Kosei sighed and shook her head as she tried to concentrate on the hat.

"Oh no, I wonder if he is in town…" one of them sighed and Kosei had to look up to see for herself from her little window and yet she could barely make the shape of the moving mass out because of the fog of the train. Her thick eyebrows arched as she listened to her co workers speak and as she saw that there was nothing to observe she went back to her stitching.

"Ah, it took off!" Ayame whined.

"No. Just hiding from all the soldiers." Another one explained to her.

"Say did you hear? Remember Nohara Rin, from South Haven?" Ayame asked. "They say Kakashi tore her heart out."

"How scary!"

"Don't worry; he's not going to want yours." One said and they all ended up laughing at it.

"Hurry up, already!"

With that the ladies hurried out of the shop still joking and teasing each other about Kakashi Hatake until Kosei was left alone to work in peace. The train passed once more with the fog darkening her room and feeling tired Kosei threw the hat on the doll's head as she looked outside with the ground shaking as the train passed.

She took one of the new hats which had been made recently and staring at it closely she put it down on the table once again before sighing and standing up patting her apron from any dust before taking it off from her waist to put it on the counter next to her straw hat. It was the plainest hat matching Kosei's own plainness and that was why she liked it.

pShe walked outside the shop closing the door behind her just as aircrafts were flying over Market Chipping carrying the flag of the kingdom signaling in such a way the successful beginning of the war against Strangia, the neighboring country. Kosei walked to the main space of the shop where they conducted the trade and stared at herself on the mirror with her hat on. Not liking the sight of her reflection and thinking she looked ridiculous she pulled the hat to her head making it cover her honey eyes and walked outside once again.

It was a busy day at the Wastes and as she walked by the streets, automobile like vehicles passed by her with busy people running about to catch up with their work all the while the sky was full with aircrafts carrying the flags of the kingdom. Looking at the buss which had just arrived at the station, Kosei ran to catch up with it in order to go and visit her half sister Kurenai.

As the buss passed the main bridge, Kosei observed at the tanks passing under it and people cheering for them from the top of the bridge as ladies waved their handkerchiefs as well. In the center it was worse; the square was flooded by people waving either their hats or their handkerchiefs and confetti being thrown from windows and balconies as the soldiers paraded through the crowd. Kosei managed to get away from the crowd by walking through them and into an alley where she saw that there was no soul setting foot.

With hurried steps she got a piece of paper out of her dress pocket and read the instructions of how she could get to her sister's workshop without getting lost even though she had just changed the road and entered an alley. Looking around her and hoping that she wouldn't get lost since she had never wandered in those parts of the town, Kosei continued further into the alley. As she was looking around she didn't notice that before her a uniformed soldier was standing resting on his elbow and looking at her with a playful smirk. Once she noticed, Kosei froze in her place and made a step back.

"Hey there little mouse; did you lose your way? He asked still leaning on his elbow seeming overly cocky.

"Oh no, I'm fine!" Kosei mumbled taking another step back as he seemed to lean closer to her.

"Then how about a cup of tea?" He asked straightening up by the time another uniformed soldier made his way around him. "Care to join me?"

"No thank you, I'm busy!" Kosei said hoping that they would let her leave already. Soldiers especially those in uniform where like that in the Wastes. They seemed to get the impression that just because they were wearing the king's uniform that made all the ladies want them, making them extremely arrogant at times. Right now, Kosei was annoyed.

"She sure is a cute little mouse!" The other soldier leaned towards Kosei even though she wasn't that short.

"Say, how old are you? Do you live around here?"

"Let me pass already!" Kosei demanded and both of them chuckled at her response.

"See, it's those whiskers of yours!" The first soldier teased the second one who still hadn't moved one bit.

"She's even cuter when she's mad!" The second said and just as Kosei was ready to react to the chastise she felt arms being wrapped around her shoulders. Her eyes went wide as she heard the voice of a third man.

"Yo there, I'm sorry!" The silvery voice said and Kosei got the feeling he was referring to her. She looked at the hand on her shoulder and saw that it was a firm one with a silver ring on the index finger. From his sleeve she noticed that he was wearing a black shirt while a dark coat rested on his shoulders. "Where you've been?" He asked slightly pushing her and Kosei simply couldn't find the strength to look up.

"Who are you?" One of the soldiers asked rising to the stranger's height and Kosei could only look forward. She wondered what would happen if she ran away from all this nonsense.

"I'm with her," the stranger simply stated and flipping his finger towards the two men he said, "Why don't you two go for a walk?"

The soldiers straightened while gasping and it seemed as if they weren't in control of their bodies. Turning they walked away and Kosei noticed that the stranger's swift hand movements had to do something with it. So he was a wizard after all she thought and somehow cursed herself for managing to get into such a mess.

"Don't hold it against them," came the voice from above her startling her and she looked up to see a masked man seeming to smile at her. He had his lower part of the face masked while his eyes, two different eyes were visible. One was dark grey just like his hair and the other was red with a scar running through it. Kosei's heart clenched as she realized who her savior might have been. "They're harmless!" He told her. "Where to? I'll be your escort!" He said and Kosei's brain went into a reel as she tried to find ways to get herself out of the situation she had landed in. Certainly the lesson she learned was to always stick to the main roads and take no shortcuts.

No, really I'm just going to Cesari's!" She said with a slight blush creeping up her cheeks. He leaned closer towards her.

"Act normal, I'm being followed!" He whispered close to her and Kosei thought she couldn't get any worse with this.

Taking his hand from her shoulder he grasped hers and put it on his elbow so that they would walk normally, "Just walk!" He softly insisted as he saw that she was nearly freaking out. Eyes wide, Kosei gulped and simply did as he asked her to, looking straight ahead. As they walked through the alley, she noticed that dark gooey masses appeared through the walls behind them wearing similar straw hats to the one Kosei was wearing and for the second time that day she cursed her luck.

"Sorry, I got you involved!" The man said as if it was the most natural thing but Kosei nearly ignored him as she stared at the creatures behind them. As she turned her eyes before her she gasped when she saw the same creatures straight ahead and both her hands went to the man's black shirt. She grasped his arm and he instantly turned to his left along with her, their pace significantly increasing. "This way!"

More and more creatures appeared from the walls both from behind and on front blocking their way and with each step Kosei clung even more to the stranger. "Hold on!" He smirked and placing a hand to her waist nearly lifting her just as the creatures were about to squash them, he leapt all the while holding Kosei who had closed her eyes, high enough to begin floating. Yes, he was certainly a wizard.

Kosei gasped as she saw how high he had taken them which was right above the houses of the city. "Drop your legs and keep walking!" He ordered still with a soft voice and Kosei stretched her booted legs fearful that she would fall if not for his hands around her. She did as she was told and the man took her hands in his as if ready to dance in order to lead her while they flew.

Kosei was beyond mesmerized and she couldn't help but smile as she saw the people from the streets looking so tiny. "That's right! Don't be frightened!" The man holding her beamed and when Kosei looked at him he was smiling at her. They passed from roof top to roof top and Kosei felt like she could do this forever.

Beneath them the people were dancing in the main square, celebrating the beginning of the war and marching of the troops while others enjoyed their evening with tea and sweets. "Very nice!" The man complimented her, his voice ringing close to her ear making her blush even more and she was at loss for words. It was strange that no one seemed to mind them or notice them flying over them.

Once they reached the balcony to Cesari's, Howl stepped on the wall mount and still holding Kosei he put her down on the inside part. Kosei felt as light as a feather.

"I'll draw them off," he said still holding her hand and Kosei felt the warmth of it. "Wait here until the coast is clearer!" he instructed through his mask.

"Hai!" Kosei nodded as he let go of her.

"That's my girl!" He said and with a motion of his hand he was once again floating off under the balcony. Kosei seeing this ran to the wall mount and looked down but he seemed to have disappeared. Only the people and their merriment continued on the road, he was nowhere to be seen. Settling down and trying to figure out what had just happened Kosei shook her head in disbelief of it all and went knocking at the door until a lady in a red dress and white frilly apron of a maid answered her.

"Is Kurenai here?"She asked.

The sweets shop was roaring that day with soldiers escorting their ladies and children with their mothers and fathers. It was as busy as it could get and the center of attention was the girl with the red eyes, the red lipstick and the neatly fixed chestnut brown hair with a white ribbon matching her frilly apron while only a curled strand was hanging to her left temple.

"Thank you!" She would say every after purchase as she tried to manage all the men that had gathered in the counter.

"Any Kurenai's chocolate?" A man asked.

"Look this way, Kurenai!" Another would say as every single one of them wanted the attention of the beautiful woman. As she gave them all chocolates the maid that had answered to Kosei came in and let her know that her sister was there.

"My sister?" Kurenai gasped as she hadn't seen her walk inside from the front door. She immediately gathered her skirts and ran out of the counter and into the second floor balcony where Kosei was.

"Sis?" She called her and Kosei turned to see her younger sister running towards her.

"Kurenai!" She acknowledged her as Kurenai took Kosei's hands in hers.

"How did you land on the veranda like that?" she asked with worry, "Have you become an angel?" She asked again and Kosei felt dizzy. She didn't know how to explain anything herself.

"It feels like I'm in a dream!" Kosei started and before that Kurenai took her by the hand and led her to the storeroom where they could speak in private. Kosei was able to tell her sister what had occurred in hopes that she would believe her. Kurenai had been Mrs. Yuhi's daughter who was the second wife of Mr. Ao after Kosei's mother had died and it had been a consolation for Kosei to have a sister. Kurenai had kept her own father's surname but she had loved Mr. Ao all the same. Despite all that, once she had Kurenai as a sister, Kosei had instantly been the older child and as tradition had it in Ingari she was destined for a mundane life.

"What? So he was a wizard?" She asked once Kosei explained everything.

"He was so kind…" Kosei mumbled dreamily. "He kind of rescued me!"

Kurenai frowned not liking where this was all going and how some stranger had just helped her sister for nothing. "Don't tell me he's stolen your heart!" she said, "If that was the wizard Kakashi, he would have eaten it right up!" She added with worry. Kosei smiled at her sister.

"Don't worry! He is only after beauties…" she sadly said.

"There you go again!" Kurenai fumed, "Listen to me, we live in dangerous times. They say even the Wizard of the Waste has come back." Kurenai warned Kosei but it seemed as if she wasn't listening. "Sister?"

"Oh?" Kosei snapped out of her reverie and looked at Kurenai who was still frowning.

"Oh you…"

"Kurenai, the madeleines are done!" A man came to them and let Kurenai know. This meant that her sister would have to get back to work.

"Ah yes, I'll be right back!" Kurenai cheered with a smile at him until he was gone. Kosei rose from her seat and patted her dress.

"I'm going home!" she announced. "It's a relief to know that you are well!"

Kurenai walked her out at the door. "Listen, are you going to spend all your life in that shop?" Kurenai asked her grabbing her hands once again. Kosei was taken aback.

"It meant so much to papa, besides I'm the eldest!" Kosei said but Kurenai shook her head.

"That's not what I mean! Do you want to be a hatter?" She asked and Kosei didn't know what to answer her because the truth was that she didn't know whether she wanted to be a hatter or not.

"I'll be on my way now!" She said trying to escape from Kurenai.

"Fine, but you have to look out for yourself!" Kurenai told her and Kosei only hummed at that before going on her way back.

The sun was slowly setting as Kosei returned back. It was easier this time since the people were returning to their homes and the streets weren't that crowded. She couldn't help but think of what Kurenai had told her but it only saddened her.

Once back she took off her hat and lit one of the candles in order to bring light to the shop. It had grown dark outside. As she was about to leave she heard the bell from the front door and turned to see a tall man strange looking enter her shop.

His hair was long and straight and properly kept back in a blue ribbon. His face was sinister and his golden eyes snake like. He was also too tall and dressed in a fine suit at the same time holding a walking stick. His mere sight sent shivers down Kosei's back.

"Sorry, the shop's closed at this time sir!" she let him know yet he only smirked and walked closer to the candle which was on the bar.

"What a cheap shop, full of cheap little hats!" His thin voice alone irritated Kosei at an instant let alone his insult. "And, you're quite cheap looking yourself!" he said making Kosei glare at him.

"This is just a simple hat shop, if you don't like anything there is the door!" Kosei said moving from behind the counter to the door pointing at it. He turned and looked at her amused by her reaction.

"You're quite brave, taking on me Orochimaru the wizard of the Waste!" He snickered and at that revelation Kosei's bravery waned away as she stared at him. She turned towards the door and saw the same creatures that had followed her and the wizard standing beside her. Gasping she took a step back not noticing the Wizard lashing at her and just like a ghost passing through her with a wicked grin. Kosei hid her face.

"You won't be able to tell anyone about the spell!" He said from the door, "My regards to Kakashi!" The wizard laughed and went away leaving Kosei alone.

When Kosei opened her eyes she looked around and noticed that things had grown taller. Trying to pick up the hat that had fallen to the ground she noticed her hands had turned full of wrinkles and not being able to understand what had happened she touched her face feeling the same rough and wrinkled surface instead of smooth skin. Not wanting to freak out she walked to the mirror instantly feeling a pain to her back and when she looked at herself she saw that there was an old version of her staring back.

"Is this really me?" She shouted finally realizing what had happened but still trying to keep calm. "That damned wizard!"

"Could this day get any weirder?" She angrily yelled before sitting down on a chair ready to contemplate her life.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"It's no use panicking, Kosei!" Kosei would repeat to herself as she paced back and forth in and out of the shop trying to remain as calm as the situation allowed. Feeling, however, that she had no strength to deal with her being turned into an old woman by a vicious wizard she decided to go to sleep and think about what to do in the morning.

When morning arrived in contrast to the previous day, the Waste seemed to have gained its peace and quiet. There were no parades that day and no aircrafts were flying over their heads, only the train passing by Market Chipping releasing its black fog and making the usual sounds.

An automobile stopped by the shop that day and a richly dressed woman in a red dress and extravagant hat stepped inside the shop with a number of presents in her hands followed by a butler that was carrying her other stuff. She barged inside the shop with a red lipped grin announcing her presence in a joyous fashion.

"I'm back!" She cheered and all the workers turned their heads from their work to her.

"Welcome home, Ma'am!" The women beamed and centered around her at once. Apparently, Mrs. Yuhi was back now.

"How do you like it?" Mrs. Yuhi asked spinning around a couple of times so that the women would see her new hat and dress. "It's all the rage in Kingsbury!" She explained to them as the women gawked at her clothes.

"Amazing!"

"It suits you!"

"Don't you think it's wonderful?" She asked and living the presents to the women she turned her head towards the next room of the workshop. "Kosei!" She called a couple of times and as she went to Kosei's work room and saw that she wasn't there she frowned.

"Mrs. Yuhi, Kosei hasn't come to work yet." One of the workers let her know.

"I wonder what the matter is!" Mrs. Yuhi said and walked towards the backyard that linked the shop with the house. As she walked inside the house she called again Kosei's name but got no reply so she climbed up the stairs, holding her skirts up so that she wouldn't fall.

From inside her bedroom, Kosei heard her stepmother's voice as she was hiding underneath her blanket and once again she thought that her day couldn't begin any worse. Not because Mrs. Yuhi was here but because she was an old woman. The knocks on her door startled Kosei and she thought of what she could do to prevent her mother from barging in.

"Don't come in!" Kosei's voice sounded crooked as if she had a sore throat. "I've got an awful cold and I don't want you to catch it!" Kosei warned.

From outside, Mrs. Yuhi's eyebrows arched. "You sound just awful…" she said, "Like some 90 year old woman!"

Kosei suppressed a chuckle at the irony of that. "I'll stay in bed today," Kosei said smiling in an embarrassed manner that only made her throat worse. Everything seemed to hurt at that age.

"Are you sure? All right then!" Mrs. Yuhi said and walked away. Kosei could hear her heels retrieving and felt relieved that she had left.

"Here we go…" she mumbled as she rose from her bed with difficulty and once again went to her mirror only to see herself as elderly once again yet this time she wasn't really surprised. "You'll be fine old lady," she said to her reflection finally accepting what she had become overnight, "You're really healthy and these clothes finally seem to suit you!" Kosei joked as she changed from her dress into a high collar white shirt and another dark blue skirt that reached her ankles along with her dark stockings and brown boots.

"I can't stay here!" She mumbled to herself as she listened to the women's voices outside having fun with her stepmother. Putting on her straw hat and a coat on her shoulders she took a little bread and cheese with her from the kitchen before deciding to leave. Kosei sneaked outside feeling a pain in her back but she tried to ignore it as much as she could. As she walked outside from the backdoor she heard men talking while they were holding the newspaper.

"I heard that this war will be terrible…"

Kosei didn't pay any further attention since she knew that she had to leave without being noticed. She passed from the bridge and the train that passed underneath it released all its fumes on her making her eyes tear and she coughed. A man that was standing by the stairs of the bridge observed her cautiously.

"Like a hand, granny?" He offered and for a moment Kosei forgot that he was talking to her.

"Such a gentleman, but I'll manage!" she said with a smile even though she did feel a small irritation. Did she have to get old for people to notice her?

Once she arrived on the outskirts a man with a four wheeled cart stuffed with hay, offered to take Kosei to her destination.

"Sure old lady, but where are you off to?" Asked the farmer.

"Just a bit further than where you are going," she answered and so the man and his son helped her up on the back of the cart before they were on the road to the hills were most farmers lived. The city seemed to get lost before her as she went away and yet she didn't seem to miss it one bit. In fact it seemed that having been cursed was the most interesting thing that had happened in her life but she would still like her old body back and let time decide when she would get old not a wizard and his whims.

The cart stopped high on the hills and yet there were more mountains to cross further ahead. He helped Kosei down and after she thanked him she was on her way north.

"I don't recommend it, granny!" the farmer shouted from where he was. "There is nothing but wizards and witches ahead!" he warned her and yet Kosei had had enough encounters in one day to be bothered now.

"Thank you!" Kosei simply said when she heard the farmer's wife.

"Going at the Folding Valley at this hour?" the woman wondered and Kosei smiled a little at how these people worried about her.

Kosei left them all behind as she continued on her way and a while later she found it very hard to cross the hill with all its rocks and slippery grass. She panted and panted as she walked until she could no longer bear it and sat down to rest and perhaps eat something. She wasn't a young woman anymore. "Thank Goodness, I still have my teeth!" she muttered as she ate a piece of her bread with cheese.

Looking around she noticed a stick hanging from a bush and decided that she should have it. "That'll make a good cane!" walking towards it after being done she grabbed the stick and tried to pull it out of the bush but it seemed stuck yet she was determined to get it and after a good yank she released the stick only to see that it was in fact a scarecrow with a smoking pipe in its mouth, a hat and a worn out suit but what scared her the most was that it was standing on the stick on its own.

"A scarecrow? I thought you were working for the wizard!" she released a relieved breath once she realized she wasn't in any danger again. "How do you stand on yourself though?" she asked and observed how it only looked at her. "Your head's a turnip, I hate turnips!" She noted and turned the other way in order to be on her way, disappointed that she wouldn't have any cane to rely on. "So long!" she greeted it.

She continued on her way with the wind getting colder the higher she went and Kosei began feeling the cold to her bones. She also noticed that the scarecrow was following her bouncing on its stick in order to catch up. Kosei's eyes widened.

"Don't follow me!" She shouted, "You don't owe me anything!" she said trying to get it away from her until she noticed that it was holding a cane and a properly made one. "I've had enough of wizards and spells!" She muttered to herself as it approached her. She decided to ignore it and walk forward but it still followed her and once he was before her, the scarecrow released the cane and Kosei looking at it put her hand to it and instantly felt better. "This is a perfect cane! Thank you kindly!" she told it. "While you're at it, why don't you find me a house to sleep in?" she joked and chuckled to herself as she saw it leave straight ahead of her still bouncing on the stick. Thinking that it had left her Kosei smiled and waved her cane to it before continuing on her journey.

As it began growing darker, Kosei also noticed a battleship flying above her head and thought of what the man on the road had said about the war being terrible but as the wind grew even colder than before she concentrated on the road and getting away with the weather. She was starting to feel weak and tired when the smell of smoke reached her nose and she wondered whether there was a cabin nearby. Feeling empowered once again by the idea of a hot fire and a place to rest she was able to keep walking despite the cold.

That was, until she noticed that the cabin she was actually hoping on finding made its way towards her and it was none other than metal and wooden mass of a castle that belonged to Kakashi. She also saw the scarecrow bouncing before it.

"Turnip head, isn't that Kakashi's castle?" She asked even though she knew it wouldn't answer back. "This is hardly what I meant when I asked for shelter!" she groaned. "What is this?" She asked as she observed at the castle and its form. It had the form of some kind of creature. "You call this a castle?" She wondered and scarecrow bounced at the back of it once the castle stopped moving, where there was a door. It began moving again however and Kosei was able to see the door for herself.

"Is that the way in?" she asked and having no other alternative she ran towards it with as much strength as she could master now that she was old and she was able to grasp on it at the last moment and with one swift as if the castle had felt her, it let her in the porch with her coat however being taken over by the howling wind. The scarecrow went after it and vanished from sight and so Kosei decided to go inside this castle.

Opening the regular looking door she was met by stairs once again and then a warm light from up ahead. At first she hesitated knowing well enough that she would get herself into trouble yet again she didn't have any other choice and Kosei didn't want to freeze outside. From the top stair she peeked around to see whether there was anyone in the room but she only saw a mess of books, dust and other disgusting things as well as a fire and a chair before it. Everything had gone dark but there was the fire lighting the room well enough for her old eyes to see.

Gathering up all her courage she approached the chair, sat on it and leaving her bundle of food aside she stretched her hands towards the fire to warm up. Noticing that the fire was slowly burning away, she rose once again and threw wood on it to strengthen it up. "What is this place?" she hummed, "It looks like a dilapidated heap!"

"Well, one thing about getting old is that nothing surprises you!" she joked even though she had been young until yesterday night. The warmth of the fire was about to send her into a deep sleep until she heard someone speaking.

"How troublesome! That's some spell you're under!" He said and somehow sounding bored. Kosei's eyes widened when she realized it was the fire that was speaking. "It won't be easy to break." He stated and yawned. The fire actually yawned.

"The fire talked! The fire yawned!" Kosei stuttered.

"And you can't even tell anyone about It." it continued it's rambling about her curse.

"You're Kakashi?" she inquired leaning towards him.

"Wrong. I'm the fire demon, Shikamaru!" He announced breathing more fire as he said it.

"Well then, Shikamaru can you break my spell?" She asked him with a slight hope showing in her eyes.

"Troublesome but easy!" He said smirking, "If you break the spell that chains me to this place I'll break yours!"

Kosei was disappointed. "In other words, bargain with a demon," she sighed, "you sure you can keep your promise?"

"Demons don't make promises, too troublesome!"

Kosei's shoulders fell at that and she rested on her chair. "You should better look elsewhere then."

The demon sighed and raised its little fiery hands from the wooden trunk it was holding, "But I'm an exploited demon, I'm chained here by a contract with Kakashi who works me to death!" he explained yet Kosei felt more sleepy as time passed by and couldn't follow him very well. "I'm the one who keeps this troublesome castle moving!"

"My, you've got it rough!" she sighed without really caring since she was about to fall asleep.

"If you figure out the secret contract and break the spell, I will help you!" He almost pleaded.

"I see, a bargain eh?" she hummed, "all right!" she said before her eyes closed and she drifted off to sleep.

"Granny?" Shikamaru called a number of times before he gave up.

"Eh, I've got my doubts about her! How troublesome!"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

When morning came once again, music and loud cheering could be heard from outside. The battleships were sailing away and for a moment Kosei thought she was back in Market Chipping but there was no sea in the Waste.

That day, two men walked towards the great wizard's shop and knocked on the door precisely four times. One was an official of the king while the other was a soldier. The knocks caused Kosei to wake up and she took her time to remember where she was. Apparently the knocks hadn't woken up only her because four children came running down the stairs. Kosei immediately fell back to her chair and pretended to be asleep.

The children stopped in their tracks once they saw her. "Hey, who's this?" the youngest one asked looking at her.

"Porthaven!" Shikamaru announced and one of the other children the dark haired one put on a cloak and instantly he was transformed into an old man.

"When did she get in?" the same young child asked.

The dark haired boy that seemed no more than 14 swished a button that was linked to a round board of four colors until the pointer was resting on the color blue before he opened the door.

"Mayor, sir!" The transformed boy acknowledged.

"Is your master Hatake home? The sun is already high!" he said. Kosei was looking from the corner of her eye careful not to be seen by the other three children.

"The master is out, I answer in his stead!" the boy told the mayor who offered him a letter.

"This is an invitation from his Majesty! It has come to war and the king wants all the wizards and witches to aid our homeland." The man explained, "His presence is imperative! That's all!"

Kosei opened her eyes and the three children gasped and simply stared at her as she smiled at them, rose from her seat and threw more wood to the fire. The door was closed and the boy came back in staring at just like the others were doing. "War, how awful!" Kosei remarked.

"And who might you be?" The transformed boy asked. Kosei smirked and turned to the fire.

"Shikamaru let me in!" She happily said.

"Don't look at me! She wandered in from the Wastes." The fire said.

"The Wastes?" the pink haired girl with the green eyes and the red ribbon on her head asked. "That's strange…you're not a witch are you?"

"A witch could never get in, it would be too troublesome!" Shikamaru pointed out. The ring rang again, "Porthaven again!" he announced and the boy was out again. It was a little girl who had come to pick up something for her mother apparently. The others continued to look at Kosei. Kosei went to the window on her part and looking at the ocean she knew for sure that she wasn't in the Wastes.

"Granny, are you a witch or not?" The younger child asked her, a brown haired boy with red cheeks. Kosei chuckled and turned towards him.

"That's right," she teased, "I'm the scariest witch there is!" she said and the boy laughed. "What's your name?"

"Konohamaru!"

"And, I'm Sakura!" The pink haired girl let Kosei know. Her eyes next drifted to the blond boy who was frowning at her. He had scar like marks on his cheeks and blue eyes.

"What's wrong?" Kosei asked him kindly.

"Suspicious!" he murmured a couple of times and this only amused Kosei even more. Once the customer was gone the blond boy turned to her again. "We can't have you make things up, ttebayo!"

The dark haired boy transformed back to himself once he put out the cloak but he had to put it back on because of the ring once again.

"Kingsbury!" Shikamaru announced and the boy had to change the color once again to red this time before opening the door. It was another official, a general who came this time and gave a letter of invitation for Kakashi just like the mayor had done only this was Ingari while the mayor had been from Strangia.

"Please inform master Hatake that his services are required!" The general said and bowing before the boy he left. Kosei, too curious about this device that opened a door to different places in two kingdoms went downstairs. Sakura holding Konohamaru from the hand leaned down to see what she was doing.

"Told you she is suspicious!" the blond boy whined.

"Shut up!" Sakura hushed him and Kosei tried to suppress a chuckle. As she went behind the boy she was able to see Kingsbury, the capital where her stepmother would stay for weeks or months before remembering she had to come home. Now seeing it she could understand why, magnificent palaces and houses roamed and decorated the streets and the automobiles were of a finer technology than those in the Wastes. Even fashion was different in this place; everything seemed more colorful and more extravagant.

"A city fit for a king!" She mumbled.

"Get back or you'll lose your nose!" the boy ordered and Kosei got the feeling he was quite irritated with her. Stepping back she let him close the door. "Stop wandering around!" He spat before he climbed up the stairs once again. Seeing that only Sakura, Konohamaru and the other boy were paying attention she grinned and her hands instantly went to the rotating lever. She changed it to green and they were back on the hills of the Wastes where a thick fog was laying that day, then back to red and blue again. "That's enough; I'm going to get really mad!" The boy said.

"It's alright Sasuke kun she is just looking!" Sakura said, blushing a little.

"Where does the black one lead?" Kosei asked.

"Only master Kakashi knows that!" Sakura informed her. "We should have breakfast!" She said looking at the boys and they all nodded. As Kosei climbed up the stairs she saw that the children were getting food out of the mess and winced. Konohamaru sat down and Sakura put before him a plate with bread and cheese. The blond boy also sat and waited for food with a wide grin.

Walking towards the table, she took out a plate that had bacon inside but she seriously wondered whether there was anything clean in that room. She sighed. "You have bacon and eggs, why don't you cook?" Kosei asked and the children exchanged looks.

"Granny, we can't use the fire while master Kakashi is away!" The blond boy said a little annoyed as if she was supposed to know these things. Kosei would have none of that. She walked to the wall were a series of pans were hanged and taking one suitable for making eggs and bacon she approached Shikamaru.

"I'll cook for you!" she said with determination, "you are still children, you need to eat properly!"

"But you can't, Shikamaru only obeys master Kakashi!" Sakura warned her but Kosei almost ignored her.

"That's right! I won't cook for you." Shikamaru insisted. Kosei ignored him too which added to the fire's irritation. The children stared at her waiting for Shikamaru's response. The truth was that they hoped she would actually cook for them since they hadn't eaten properly in a long time.

"All right Shikamaru, be a good fire now!"

"Too troublesome, forget it!" He told her but that only made Kosei insist more. Her eyes darkened and she grinned in a scary manner.

"You'll do as I say or I'll pour water on you!" She threatened, "Or would you rather I told your master about our little bargain?" At that Shikamaru began murmuring inappropriate things about Kosei and she managed to put her pan above his face.

"Now, that's a good fire!" she said as she began putting the bacon in the pan. Sakura ran towards her and observed Kosei's actions, fascinated that Shikamaru had let someone other than master Kakashi cook.

"Sakura chan, do you have a kettle? I would like some tea!" Kosei asked her and the girl nodding went to find a kettle and pour water in it. As she did she noticed that the circle at the door turned to black and once it opened, master Kakashi was back looking all weary and dirty. His mask was a little torn as well. Everyone but Kosei froze to their places as he entered.

"Welcome home, master Kakashi!" Sakura greeted him still holding the kettle and he smiled at her as he passed patting her head at the same time. "You have letters from the king!"

Noticing him, Kosei's eyes widened and her heart clenched once she recognized him. Apparently her supposed savior had been the wizard Kakashi after all. Nonetheless she continued to cook more determined than ever that she should stay and find a way to break her curse. He approached her and the fire and now that she was older, he was much taller than the last time she had encountered him. Kakashi observed her and the ghost of a smile played on his lips.

"Shikamaru, you're so obedient!" He joked looking at the fire.

"She bullied me! What a troublesome old lady!" Shikamaru defended himself.

"Not an easy thing to do," Kakashi said with his silvery voice, "Who exactly are you?" he asked Kosei and she wasn't surprised that he didn't recognize her; not with her grey hair and wrinkled face.

"I'm grandma Kosei," she announced smiling, "you see, I'm your new cleaning lady!"

Smiling he walked towards her and took the wooden spoon from her hands. "Pass me four more bacon slices and six more eggs!" He said as he resumed the cooking and Kosei did as she was told. "And who hired you to clean?" He politely asked while throwing egg remnants to Shikamaru who apparently enjoyed eating them.

Straightening up Kosei smirked and passed him another egg, "I hired myself, and this place looks like it had been a warzone!" she said and he chuckled at that.

"Hmm," he hummed then turned towards the children, "Sasuke give me plates!" He ordered and the boy was off to find anything that was clean. Kosei stuck out her tongue in disgust which was an unladylike thing to do especially for her age but she just couldn't help it.

"Please, join us Kosei san!" Sakura told her and hesitantly Kosei walked towards the messy table and sat down next to Konohamaru and Sakura. The plates were passed as well as the tea and everyone seemed ready to eat. She saw the table was full of dust and sighed.

"I have work to do!" she mumbled more to herself.

"I'm Naruto by the way," the blond boy said giving her a slice of bread, "I'll be the greatest wizard someday!" he said and began eating. Kosei smiled at that. "Now this is what I call breakfast." He said before digging in. the way those children ate as if they had starved was another thing that made Kosei wince, there were no manners whatsoever but she couldn't blame them. If they had passed all their actual time alone with a man who left all the time it was only natural.

"So, what's in your pocket?" Kakashi suddenly asked Kosei and all eyes were on her. Kosei on her part frowned as she didn't understand what he was referring to until she reached inside the pocket of her skirt and saw a piece of paper was in.

"I had no idea, I wonder what it is…" she muttered.

"Let me!" Kakashi offered and once he touched the letter it fell off and burned a seal on the wooden table.

"It's scorched on the table, master this is…" Sasuke began looking at it as was everyone else.

"Ancient sorcery," Kakashi said staring at it, "He, who catches a fallen star, oh heartless man, your heart shall be mine...well so much for the table!" He said and putting his hand over the seal he wiped it away from the table as it burned at his touch.

"Wow, it's gone!" Konohamaru marveled.

"The scorch has vanished but not the spell, continue your meal!" He ordered standing up from his seat and threw the entire plate to Shikamaru, "Shikamaru, move the castle 100 kilometers…and bring hot water to the bath!" He demanded and left their presences going upstairs to rest.

"Do you work for the wizard of the Wastes?" Sasuke asked Kosei almost glaring at her. Her lips pursed and only at the mention of that man she felt her blood boil.

"Don't be stupid! The wizard…" as she was about to speak about her encounter with him her lips shut closed and she realized at that moment what he had meant with not being able to tell anyone. Feeling as if she had enough she banged her hands on the table hard scaring the children who were still eating. "Damn him!" She cursed and sat back down to finish eating.

"Wait till I get my hands on him!" she mumbled.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Cleaning began immediately right after breakfast and it was a good thing that the children but Sasuke were willing to help her. Sasuke preferred to sit in his room and study whatever spells he had to while the others ran around helping Kosei. Putting on a mask she began dusting away surface after surface threatening every bug and insect that came her way. She was determined to make that place shining with cleanliness.

She could have written a list of the things she saw living the surfaces she cleaned and her disgust only empowered her even more. Sakura, Naruto and Konohamaru took everything outside so that she would clean more properly. "There's a spell I need!" An old man approached Naruto who was in the disguise of an old man himself as well as Sakura and Konohamaru.

"Later, sir" Naruto advised the man, "There is a witch in there raging on!"

Once she was done dusting she threw water to begin mopping and Sakura helped her with an old rag to clean floor after floor while Naruto and Konohamaru dusted the books.

"Kosei, Kosei!" Shikamaru called her as she put out the carpets to clean them later, "I'm going out, Kosei!" he shouted, "I'm going to die without some wood!" With that Kosei took the wood he was holding and put him in a metal bin. Shikamaru hanged from the wood and at the same time hanged on for dear life.

"You're killing me, Kosei, I'll fall!" Shikamaru's voice thinned all the more as his fire began to slow down.

"I'm sweeping the ashes, hang on!" she simply told him. As Kosei forgot all about him and took the ashes outside, Kakashi came down from his room and placing a log on the fire had Shikamaru placed on it as well. By the time Kosei came back Kakashi had lit Shikamaru back.

"Try not to torment my friend," Kakashi told her looking particularly handsome that morning and she couldn't help the blush that rose to her cheeks.

"Master? Are you going out?" Naruto asked him and he smiled at the boy.

"Naruto, tell our new cleaning lady not to get too carried away!" he said and with that he was off on the black color of the door.

"Kosei san, what did you do?" Naruto asked her and she simply shrugged.

"She abused me!" Shikamaru whined from his spot, "If I die, Kakashi goes with me!"

"You big baby!" Kosei shook her head and taking her mop she was about to go to the second floor when Naruto and Konohamaru ran in front of her.

"Not the second floor!" Naruto blocked her entrance, they both looked uncomfortable and Sakura grinned in a wicked way as she grabbed another mop.

"I'll clean Sasuke kun's room!" She said making Kosei smile.

"If I were you I would put all your precious things away in a hurry!" She warned and at that the two children were running up towards their rooms.

"Sasuke kun!" Naruto called him a couple of times to warn him as well. Kosei smiled at Sakura and made way for her to pass first.

"Go for it!" Kosei urged her and the girl happily ran upstairs with her red dress bouncing as she did. She was left alone once each of them ran to a room and as she ascended the stairs, Kosei sighed as she saw in what mess every area of that castle was. "What kind of place is this," she whined looking around and swearing that all the spiders had their eyes on her as she passed through.

She opened one of the doors and saw that it led to a bathroom which seemed as if a color fight had happened, everything was a mess, colors were sprinkled all over the place and waters ran from every corner. She had never seen a filthier tub and her eyes went wide at the sight of the toiler. Moving to open the window she gasped as she glanced at how high she was and Kosei also noticed that the castle was on the move. They seemed to be high up on some mountain, "Amazing!" she marveled looking around and enjoying the wind. She almost ran down to Shikamaru.

"Are you the one moving the castle?" She asked with excitement dripping from every word.

"What a fuss, but of course I am!" He said as if he had a thousand things to do better than talk about the castle.

"You're amazing!" Kosei told him and if it was possible he seemed to blush.

"Heh!" he smirked and seemed pleased with himself. Kosei ran back to the bathroom to finish her work. She tried to open every door there was that led to a veranda so that some air would come inside the castle and clean the atmosphere. The view was getting better and better as they eventually stopped in front of a peaceful lake at the top of a mountain with trees and greenery surrounding them. Eventually she was joined by Sakura and Konohamaru.

"How beautiful!" Kosei mumbled.

"It's called Star Lake!" Sakura informed her and the little girl's eyes drifted on something moving right beneath them. It was a stick that seemed to have been stuck in one of the holes of the castle and as it moved Kosei gasped as she wondered whether that was in fact her scarecrow friend. "Something's stuck here!" she said.

"Oh dear, help me with it Sakura!" Kosei said and together they managed to pull him outside of the whole. Involuntarily Kosei smiled that it was the scarecrow. "You sure like being upside down, Mr. Turnip head!" she joked as it began standing on its own startling Sakura and Konohamaru. "I think he likes me!" Kosei said sighing and the two children laughed at that. "What? You think scarecrows don't like older women?" she teased them and began chasing them inside the castle with them screaming as if they were scared.

The group continued their cleaning but Kosei didn't dare go inside Kakashi's room. She was afraid of what strange things she could see in there despite her curiosity and she didn't go anywhere near that area. The hardest part was getting Sasuke get up from his studies to lend a hand only in his room but just like the rest he was relieved to have his place so clean and in the end he even thanked Kosei with a little blush on his cheeks. Kosei also found that there were a thousand clothes to clean and she managed to get them dry with the help of the children to set up the ropes with Turnip Head's help.

In the end, Kosei cooked them all lunch and for the first time they ate in a clean table with everything being in its proper place. They all ate and after that Sasuke returned to his studies while the rest went outside to play and practice their own magic. Kosei sat somewhere nearby watching over them and specifically Konohamaru who was younger than the rest but was pleased to see that when he fell and hurt his knee, Sakura was able to heal him simply by touching him while Naruto showed an affinity for air making patterns or floating just like Kakashi had that time. Seeing them play with what they could do, Kosei considered that not all magic was horrid and used for curses and that there were pleasant things about it.

Over the time she got to know more about the children and their backgrounds since she knew they weren't really Kakashi's own children and it seemed strange for a man to have all these children along with him but apparently he was their teacher appointed by the Wizarding Academy in Kingsbury except for Naruto and Sasuke who were orphans, the rest had people back home waiting for them.

Kosei took her tea on that peaceful landscape and she almost forgot all about her worries. She forgot that she wasn't young for just a minute and enjoyed her tea in that bliss. After a while the laundry was all put back and it was time to leave as the sun set.

"Granny, we should be getting back!" Naruto advised her and they went back together with him holding her chair as the returned.

Late that night, Kakashi returned from the black area which was in truth the warzone between the two kingdoms and what had tired him most was the hopelessness of him having to involve himself eventually in the horrors he had just witnessed. The castle had gone dark as everyone had gone to sleep and only Shikamaru was awake which was only natural.

Feeling exhausted he sat on the chair before Shikamaru and let his body take his human form instead of the crow like wings and torso. He put his feet on the fireplace near Shikamaru and sighed as he made his body turn.

"Troublesome, you stink of steel and burnt flesh!" Shikamaru whined quietly so that he wouldn't wake up Kosei who was sleeping nearby. "Keep flying and one day you won't be able to change yourself back!" Shikamaru warned him as he noticed with how much difficulty Kakashi had turned into a human. Shikamaru stretched his tiny fiery hands and took one of the logs that Kosei had let close to him for his every need. "Isn't it great, Kosei put them there for me?" He asked Kakashi trying to get his attention but the man seemed to ignore him.

"The fighting is fierce," Kakashi mumbled, "The country is ablaze from the southern coast to the northern border!"

"I hate the fire in gunpowder! They have no manners and such a fuss happens over them!" Shikamaru whined again.

"My own kind attacked me!" Kakashi said with a bitter smile.

"The wizard of the Wastes?"

"No, wizards masquerading as monsters!"

"They'll cry plenty later, when they can't regain their human form anymore!" Shikamaru said matter of fact.

"No, they'll just forget they were ever humans to begin with!" Kakashi sighed and leaned straight.

"Aren't you supposed to report to the king?"

"Yes, well…" Kakashi stood from the chair, "Hot water for my bath!" He requested and Shikamaru was about to say something. The fire only sighed at the dodged question. Kakashi walked to the tent that Kosei slept inside feeling sorry that they hadn't found a room to accommodate her in and pushing the curtain he smirked at what he saw. Just as he had expected the cursed old lady was in fact the lovely girl from the Wastes. She was sleeping soundly and he couldn't help but smile at her peace which was something he envied for the time being. His hand went to reach her hair which had sprawled over her pillow in black curls but decided against it, he didn't want to wake her up. Instead he went to his bathroom and waited for the hot water that Shikamaru had been ordered to provide him.

The sound of water crashing in the tub made the castle rumble and Kosei was up in an instant, her figure once again being that of an old woman. "Is that, Kakashi?" She asked Shikamaru who was grabbing another log.

"Yeah, wasting my hot water again!" he grumbled. Kosei didn't fall asleep for the rest of the night.

Next morning she found they were out of anything to eat and so taking her straw hat and wearing her frilly shirt and skirt again, she prepared herself in order to go out. Sakura followed her with a little basket in her hands and her little red dress and ribbon. They had stopped in Porthaven since Kosei loved the ocean and the day with its fine weather made their walk all the better. The seagulls were swimming around the trade ships which were few that day and people were out and about going to the market for their groceries.

The port was lively and Kosei felt nice being out and about in a city once again. They bought potatoes despite Sakura's warnings that Sasuke hated potatoes, fish and many vegetables. "I hate vegetables! How about sweets?" Sakura asked her.

"Come now Sakura, you should eat better in order to grow up healthy!" Kosei explained to her and because the girl pouted, Kosei bought her ice cream. The two of them were about to shop for apples when they saw people running towards the port.

"The fleet has returned!" a man shouted making other people run towards it. "Is that smoke?" "There has been another battle!" "The ship is on fire!" When Kosei turned to see what all the fuss was about she saw a large battleship nearly destroyed and barely sailing towards the port. A bell kept ringing because of the fire and smoke it was releasing. Once at the port, the sailors and everyone that was on board fell to the waters in order to escape with rescue boats approaching them to take them ashore.

"Kosei, let's get a closer look!" Sakura beamed her curiosity getting the best of her but Kosei thought better.

"No, Sakura chan, let's get back! That is not a view for children!" Kosei told her and heard Sakura groan. What had Kosei's attention however wasn't just the battleship but the very familiar creature that had appeared before her several times in the Wastes, Orochimaru's henchmen who appeared to be looking for something or someone. "Sakura, there are Blob men here!" She mumbled and Sakura gasped. "Don't move!" Kosei held her close until it was gone and she breathed again. "How can people not notice these terrible creatures?" Kosei spat and once she felt safe again, two sets of bombs were launched on the water shaking the ground of the port. Sakura held tightly to Kosei's skirt. When she looked up she saw an enemy airship.

The people had begun running back to their homes and away from the port. As the airship passed air flyers were thrown crowding the streets but Kosei would have none of it. She took Sakura and their groceries by the hand and walked towards home. "Ignore the flyers, they are propaganda!" Kosei muttered and she could only see a photograph of the king in his military suit. Once inside the castle, Kosei sat down on a chair to rest. Naruto and Sasuke observed her as Sakura went to put the groceries to its places. Konohamaru looking at Kosei's state took her a glass of water. "Such a good boy!" She thanked him.

"What happened?" Sasuke bluntly asked and Sakura explained what they had seen getting Naruto all worked up on whether the sailors that had returned were safe. Once Kosei felt rested again, a howl like scream was heard from the top floor that had her startled and up from her seat. Everyone looked up worried.

"What was that?" Kosei asked and the others simply shrugged.

"KOSEI!" She heard Kakashi yell and all of a sudden the idea of being seen by the Blob Men didn't seem that bad. He came running down, stopping in the middle of stairs once he saw her and Kosei tried hard not to laugh at the sight. He was only wearing a towel and had his palm over his face so that she wouldn't see his face which had her wonder for the first time why he actually hid his face, also his hair had turned red and his eyes were wide open with his anger channeling her. "Kosei, what did you do to the bathroom shelves? Look!" He yelled pointing towards his hair with his free hand. He ran down towards her and pointed his head to her. "Look at this weird thing!" He said.

"What…what beautiful color!" Kosei marveled still trying hard not to laugh something that Naruto and Konohamaru had a hard time doing. They were rolling on the ground laughing at the scene. Sasuke had reddened as he was trying not to laugh and Sakura had her hand over her mouth.

"You mixed up everything and ruined the spells, Kosei!" He yelled once again, so close to her that she was getting annoyed. Her eyes narrowed. Was he supposed to scream at an old lady like that? She thought not!

"I simply cleaned up! You should be thanking me!" She snapped.

"Cleaning, always, cleaning!" He sighed desperately still holding his face and hair. "I told you not to get too carried away!" Kakashi said sitting down. "How humiliating! Who listens to that baka Gai? He will be teasing me for the rest of my life about it!" Kakashi mumbled looking down. Kosei rolled her eyes.

"It's not that terrible!" She sighed and saw how the color slowly turned back to grey. Smirking she shook her head at this man that was supposedly that powerful but had been bothered by something so simple. "Stop acting like a child already, your hair just turned back to normal, Sheesh!" even as she said so, it seemed as if he wasn't listening, as if he was somewhere else and all of a sudden the room began darkening all around them and shadows began creeping from the walls.

"Stop, Kakashi, stop that!" Shikamaru quaked, "How troublesome!"

Kosei was troubled by this attitude and tried to shake him off so that she could reason with him once again but once she touched him, a gooey substance was stuck to her hands and she truly wondered whether this was all just because of his hair or something else much more important. She felt like she had enough all of a sudden and batted her cane to the ground. "Enough already!" She spat angrily at him. she wanted to say that she had turned into an old lady overnight and yet she had kept her calm, had left her home and yet she hadn't lost her mind and had entered into this new world of war and wizardry and yet she had accepted everything and here he was now literally melting for something as idiotic as appearances. "The hell with you, Kakashi!" she yelled and ran outside where the door led her to those mountains above the Wastes again.


	5. Chapter 5

**Kosei**

Chapter 5

The cool air and the pouring rain made Kosei think more clearly as she contemplated with her life again and thought whether she should stay and involve herself in this madness rather than just leave. She thought of Kakashi and what might have triggered that behavior, that sadness and yet she just couldn't understand because she realized she didn't really know him. Just as she as standing in the middle of the rain, her friend Turnip Head came with an umbrella offering shelter from the rain. She looked up at him and smiled.

"You're kind friend, Turnip Head!" She told him. Right at that moment she also felt hands yanking her. Naruto and Sakura had run to her and were grasping at her skirts.

"Granny, Kakashi is in trouble, please come back! Kosei sighed once again and throwing one last look at Turnip Head she returned back inside where Kakashi's goo was almost reaching Shikamaru.

"Please stop already!" Shikamaru huffed as he tried to stand back from the liquid. "Kosei!" He called her and at the sight, Kosei just shook her hand.

"My, he's dramatic!" She hummed with a smile as her anger waned out.

"Is he dead?" Sakura asked with concern and Kosei chuckled.

"No, he is an idiot!" Kosei corrected her. "Don't worry, a tantrum never killed anybody!" she explaining lifting her sleeves. "Help me with him, children!" She ordered them and together the three pushed the chair to the stairs while Sasuke went to prepare a bath. Trying not to be disgusted by the slime, Kosei lifted Kakashi and had his hand over her shoulder to help him walk upstairs. Sakura ran ahead to get a mop to clean the remains. "You could do me a favor if you managed to walk by yourself!" Kosei mumbled and noticing the stairs behind her she saw that his towel was no longer in place and her face reddened as she glanced at his bum than back up. "Could you irritate me any further?" She almost shouted.

Placing him inside that tub was the most difficult thing as she tried not to look at anything even more intimate. Kakashi had gained consciousness enough to hide his face once again. They had all missed their chance to see what was underneath that mask and this was the only regret that Kosei had. She let him to the boys to clean him and went downstairs to help Sakura clean.

"That man!" She huffed and Sakura giggled. "Sakura, take Konohamaru to bed, he seems to have fallen asleep!" Kosei told her and the girl did just that. Meanwhile while she was waiting for the boys to be done with Kakashi she prepared tea to take it to him.

Climbing up the stairs she felt more used to them now than before and once she made certain that Kakashi was in bed she knocked before entering his room for the first time. Surprisingly she saw that it was clean in general, there was a bed in the middle and a crowd of things in different colors, hanging from everywhere. The room was full of relics and clock like devices and other treasures and Kosei had a hard time looking around since she didn't know where to first lay her eyes on. On a small table next to his bed he had a picture of him and the children and Kosei smiled at that. "You are not so heartless after all!" She teased him and he smiled as she put the trace with the tea next to the picture. She also noticed a book and her lips thinned. So he was also a pervert.

Kakashi was laying on his bed, tucked in and read for sleep. He took off his mask and involuntarily Kosei held her breath. What he revealed would have made any girl swoon over him and she could understand all the rumors now that were about him. Kakashi was handsome and small mole played on his chin and now that Kosei could see how he really looked like when he smiled or grinned her heart skipped a beat. She took a deep breath however and reminded herself that she was an old woman now and she couldn't gawk over young men. "What is it Kosei? Am I so handsome that you are left speechless?" He mocked and narrowing her eyes, Kosei remembered to whom she was talking.

"Why do you hide your face when there is nothing wrong with it?" She asked him as he took the cup of tea and took a sip. He smirked.

"Where would the fun in that be? You were curious about me and now you're not!" He said matter of fact and Kosei smiled.

"Curious you say? I wouldn't call it that!" She admitted and his eyes darkened, "I was curious however to whether you went into a tantrum over your hair or over something else!" She said speaking with seriousness.

"I'd rather not say; also about my face, only you have seen it!" He said and Kosei's eyes widened.

"Not even the children?"

"No, I like to toy with them about it, they make all these assumptions and efforts and it amuses me when they do!" Kakashi explained placing his cup back on the trace before leaning back to his pillow again. Kosei's eyes softened. She was about to stand up when he closed his eyes, thinking he was falling asleep when he caught her hand. "Don't leave me, Kosei!" He muttered and looking back she sighed. He really acted like a child sometimes.

She sat over on his bed. As she did a violet like stone glimmered above her head and Kosei stared at it with fascination. "The Wizard of the Wastes is looking for my house." He said sounding tired.

"I know, I saw his henchmen at the port." Kosei let him know. "Why is he after you?" She asked and he smiled again in a dorky manner.

"He was a powerful wizard when we were back at the academy and he seemed interested in me so I approached him, hoping to learn something better but I was not interested in that kind of magic and eventually I escaped! I suppose though he is doing it again, searching for young powerful wizards and witches." As he explained Kosei sighed. She had gotten in all that trouble over something of the past between these two men. "Now the king wants me to report to him,"

"Can't you refuse the king?"

"See that…" he showed her pointing to a piece of paper over his head. "The oath I took at the Sorcery Academy." Kosei didn't take the time to read it, there was no need.

"Why not visit the king?" She urged and his eyes opened wide as if she was insane, "Just say it to his face, 'Stop this foolish war, I refuse to help you'." She exclaimed and he seemed amused but in the end he didn't seem to be in on her suggestion.

"Kosei, you don't know what they're like…"

"But he is the king, and the king surely must want the best of his people! It wouldn't hurt you to try!" At that he jumped out of bed and on his knees stood next to her with his eyes wide and face very close to her.

"I know, Kosei why don't you go in my stead?" He asked and Kosei gasped.

"Now wait a second, did you even hear what I said?" she asked but as she saw how excited he seemed she simply shrugged.

"Pretend to be Hatake's mother," he urged, "Tell them that your son is good for nothing, maybe that way Madam Tsunade will give up on me!" He rejoiced.

"You really are good for nothing." Kosei pondered but he heard.

"Come now, don't be mean, Kosei san!" he pouted and Kosei tried not to blush.

"And who is this Madam Tsunade?"

0o0o0o

By next morning Kosei was mumbling how bad her luck was. To think a man would an old lady to go into that palace which was far away and tell this woman that her supposed son was still a man child. She put on her hat with determination as the children watched her along with Shikamaru.

"You're wearing that hat?" Kakashi asked her who was standing with his blanket on and his mask as well. He gave her the king's invitation and she nearly grabbed it from him. "After all the magic I spent, making your dress pretty!" He mumbled but she ignored him. The dress was actually pretty for an old woman, but she still preferred her shirt, skirt and boots.

"Off I go!" Kosei said and saw Kakashi's eyes narrow that she was ignoring him. He leaned down as she was about to leave, behind her and placed a silver ring with a red stone on it, to her finger.

"The charm assures your safe return!" He said and Kosei looked at him, "don't worry I will follow closely behind in disguise!" with that Kosei was off into the streets with her cane and her hat following the main road to the square of Kingsbury and then the castle.

"I'm sure this will never work!" She hummed looking at the ring and then concentrated on her surroundings. Listening to a crow she lifted her head up, "I don't suppose he is following me as a crow!" she wondered.

The weather was once again lovely, ladies were walking with their umbrellas to protect them from the sun and there weren't that many people around because of the heat. From the square she walked to the guarded gate which resembled a castle from the middle ages because it was stone built. By the time she was walking towards the palace she noticed a dog following her and wondered whether he was Kakashi. What other reason could a dog have to follow her specifically in that moment? Its legs were too short for its body and its eyes seemed strange looking.

"Kakashi?" She tried once nearly whispering but she didn't get any response or sign that it was him, he only barked. "Of all the disguises you could have picked…" Kosei was cut off by the sight of the Blob Men carrying a small carriage and from its window there was Orochimaru grinning at her. Kosei felt worried at first but after thinking all she had been through she simply turned her head the other way around.

"How nice to see you, the little hatter is it not?" He asked still grinning. "Thank you so much for delivering my letter to Kakashi!" he said, "How is he doing?"

"Thanks to him I've become a cleaning lady, he is quite alright!" Kosei said holding her head high and refusing to look at the Wizard. Orochimaru chuckled.

"My, how delightful!" he said, "By the way, what brings you to the king?"

"None of your business whatsoever!" Kosei spat and he chuckled again. "Yourself?"

"Brave just like the last time we met! I have been invited by the king; it seems like that baka Tsunade needs my powers after all!"

"How about breaking my spell?" Kosei suggested sarcastically.

"That's impossible, my gifts lie in casting spells not breaking them!"

"Well so much for your powers!" Kosei huffed and at that Orochimaru had one last chuckle before striding off ahead of her. Once at the front of the palace, a spell was cast and the Blob Men simply vanished making the carriage stand in its place.

"Sir, vehicles are prohibited beyond this point!" A man announced and Orochimaru cursed. "Please continue on foot!"

"That Tsunade!" He swore and instantly felt tired because of his time coming to an end to his current body. He still hadn't found a proper vessel yet and the magic of the palace would wear him down. The worst part was that he would have to climb all those stairs. Eventually Kosei caught up and seemed not to bother with the stairs despite her age. When she turned she saw that because of its small legs the dog couldn't climb up. Kosei sighed and went back down to him. She took the dog in her hands and instantly regretted it.

"What the hell have you been eating, Kakashi?" She mumbled as she struggled to lift them up the stairs. Kosei was able to pass ahead of Orochimaru who seemed as if he was ready to melt on the stairs.

"You…wait…" He breathed and Kosei huffed.

"What is it now?" She asked feeling irritated, "Suddenly remember how to break my spell?"

"I…told you…I don't know how!" He managed to say, "I don't get it! Where does she get all that energy?"

Eventually halfway there, Kosei put Kakashi down since she couldn't carry him anymore and looked back at Orochimaru. His sweat was washing the stone of the stairs and his skin seemed to fall off of him. "Why don't you call it a day? You clearly cannot make it!" Kosei teased him.

"It's been such a long time since they drove me away! I've been longing for this day ever since!"

"Good luck to you then," Kosei told him and taking Kakashi back in her hands she began climbing up the rest of the stairs.

"You heartless bitch, next time I'll turn you feeble too…"

Once she was at the top, Kosei let down Kakashi who rolled from his back to his feet and then turned back once again. It amused her to see Orochimaru in such a way yet it was clear that the man wasn't just a wizard but some kind of demon as well. He was literally melting. "Hurry up!" Kosei shouted when a butler came and urged her to follow him. "First, you should help him!" Kosei pointed towards Orochimaru but the man stood in his place.

"We are forbidden to assist anyone!" He said grinning and Kosei wondered where she had come to even as the king himself had invited Orochimaru.

"And you call yourself a wizard?" Kosei shouted towards Orochimaru as he climbed up the final stair looking like he had ran around the world with a stop.

"Shut up already, who asked you?" he told her but Kosei wasn't offended. Once inside the both of them were announced.

"Madam Hatake and the Wizard of the Wastes!"

Kosei gave her cane to Orochimaru, "Pull yourself together!" she urged as they passed from the throne room which was richly decorated with the colors of gold and red displayed. "Isn't this what you've been waiting for?"

They were escorted into a room with a number of carpets and a chair in the middle of it. Kakashi was still following Kosei. Once Orochimaru saw the chair he gathered up all his strength to sit on it. Kakashi however barked and went another way with Kosei having no other option but to follow him. "Get back here!" she whispered as she went after him to the right door and as she was standing alone in the hall the wall opened revealing a woman of the age Kosei had been wearing a maid's clothes. Her hair was darker than Kosei's had been and so were her eyes. Her hair was cut short and she held a little pig in her hands as a pet.

"Madam this way please!" She said showing Kosei the way and she nodded before following the dark haired woman in the maid outfit. Back in the room she thought she heard Orochimaru scream but she wasn't certain and at that point she could do nothing for him. The alley was dark and dimply lit which made Kosei feel uneasy at her whereabouts but at least Kakashi was there with her. By the end of the hall they ended up in a tropical-like garden which had Kosei looking around mesmerized and at the center of it, a woman was sitting on a comfortable cushioned chair speaking to a number of men dressed in suits. She possessed blonde hair; honey eyes and a mark on her forehead which made her look quite regal and important. Her cleavage also made Kosei feel uncomfortable even though she was an old woman now but she ignored the woman's looks in the face of her mission. Kosei guessed she was Madam Tsunade.

Eventually the men left after they bowed their heads and Kosei had to approach. "Shizune, thank you!" Madam Tsunade said and the maid left after she took a notebook with her. Then the Madam turned towards Kosei. "I understand that you are Kakashi's mother!" She said and Kosei nearly frowned at that. She wouldn't get used to that role.

"Hai!" Kosei breathed, "I'm Mrs. Hatake!" Kosei said and the woman smirked from her seat. Kosei couldn't understand whether she was good or bad or terrifying as Kakashi had put it.

"You must be weary, please have a seat!" Madam Tsunade urged Kosei showing her a chair before her and Kosei approached the chair with a nod towards the witch. "I'm Madam Tsunade, his Majesty's witch!" She introduced herself and looking at her Kosei nodded when she noticed Kakashi the dog sitting at the witch's feet. Kosei tried not to look too surprised.

"Um, that dog…" Kosei mumbled and the witch smiled.

"Ah, you mean Yamato?" The witch peered at him and Kosei was startled to hear that he wasn't actually Kakashi which made her bite her lip. "He does my errands, I sent him to escort you." The witch casually let Kosei know. "Kakashi won't join us then?" Madam Tsunade asked and Kosei was taken aback by her sudden question although she had been waiting for it.

"You see, he sends his mother to make excuses, I don't know what you expect of him!" Kosei faked a sigh of indignation. "He would be utterly useless to his Majesty really!"

"What a shame," the witch leaned on her hand as she seemed to consider. "He was one of our last apprentices and very accomplished to be sure," she said, "I rejoiced in the idea that I had finally found an heir but then a demon stole his heart…" she explained and Kosei began feeling uneasy once again. She didn't know these things about Kakashi and she would rather not hear them from this woman yet she was curious to know more. "He abandoned us and turned his magic into selfish uses."

"I should know, I am his mother!" Kosei said but the witch only smiled further.

"Madam, that boy is dangerous! His power is too great for someone that has no heart!" She stopped as she saw the glint in Kosei's eyes. "If he isn't stopped he will end up like the wizard of the Wastes!" Madam Tsunade said and turned her head towards the door.

The maid, Shizune was back and she was pushing a wheeled chair with Orochimaru sitting on it, only he was withered away and gone old just like Kosei had overnight. He seemed stunned and not at all powerful and intimidating like before. He was put to rest beside Kosei and she gasped. "What happened?" She asked him trying to get a good look at him but he only seemed to look ahead as if blind.

"I restored him to his real body, he didn't have time to create a new vessel and now he ended up like that!" Madam Tsunade explained but Kosei didn't really understand what she meant by vessel, she only saw a mess beside her that made her feel sorry for the actual man that had cursed her. "He was a magnificent wizard, we were even taught together but he went on to dark practices with demons' help and began jumping from one body to another just to preserve his lifespan!" She explained and it all seemed to make sense to Kosei, even what Kakashi had meant earlier when he had told her of Orochimaru. "If Kakashi comes to serve his kingdom, I will help him break the contract with the demon," she added, "if not, I'll strip him of his powers and he will have the same fate as Orochimaru's!"

Kosei felt as if she had had enough of this. "Now wait just a minute," she demanded as she stood from her seat, "now I understand why Kakashi refused to come here!" Kosei said. "Forcing your aged guests to climb stairs, dragging them into strange rooms just a like a well thought trap! Just who do you think you are and what right do you have?" Kosei fumed.

The Madam only seemed more amused and smirked at Kosei's reaction which only added to the fuel. "You call Kakashi heartless and yes he is unpredictable and sometimes as annoying as one can get but you have no right to call him selfish because he is a selfless man…most of the times, and straight as an arrow! Kosei took a breath as it seemed she had told everything in one, "He wouldn't turn into an evil monster as you put it and he will find a way to battle his demon!"

"Madam, you are really fond of Kakashi aren't you?" Madam Tsunade smiled and at that Kosei reddened since she hadn't realized how hotly she was defending him. Just as she was to speak, Kosei felt Orochimaru dragging her dress.

"Kakashi, Kakashi is coming?" He asked desperately, "I have to take his body!" He kept saying and Kosei rolled her eyes.

"No more bodies for you, he is not coming!" Kosei yanked herself free of him. As they spoke an air board landed on the grass out of the glass walls of the garden and Madam Tsunade chuckled.

"Kakashi is most definitely coming!" She said and Kosei looked at her with a frown. "I just found his weakness!" She beamed and turned her head towards the man that landed from the air board. His head was covered in a military hat that went along with the uniform he was wearing and he looked old, with scars on his face and a black pipe in his mouth. The maid Shizune opened the door for him and Kosei recognized him as the king. "Your Majesty!" The witch acknowledged him as he slowly walked towards her.

"As you were, how are you feeling?" The king asked the witch.

"Thank you for asking."

"Meetings bore me; I flew out for a breather!" He said and the witch smiled again.

"How lovely!"

"These are?" he turned towards Kosei and Orochimaru.

"This is Hatake's mother!" She introduced her and as the king turned towards Kosei she bowed slightly lifting her skirts.

"I appreciate it but I don't intend to win any war with magic!" He said, "It's true that Tsunade's powers shield this place of bombs, but they just fall on neighboring towns and that's how magic works! Am I not right Tsunade sama?" The king asked the witch and she nodded.

"Such eloquence today, your Majesty!" she observed with a wicked grin.

"TSUNADE!" came the excited voice of the same man that was standing before Kosei only another similar one had entered from the palace. He was holding letters in his hands, waving them with content. Kosei gasped and then hit her head with the palm of her hand. She saw as the supposed king beside her stiffened. "This is the final battle! This time we'll beat them to a pulp!" He said and yet the witch seemed unfazed and as if she had expected everything. Then the king beside madam Tsunade noticed the king next to Kosei and after a good staring he laughed out loud. "Tsunade, you've outdone yourself with that double! Await for news!" he said and with that he was off.

"Thank you kindly!" she nodded towards the king and waited for him to leave. "It's been awhile Kakashi!" She said once the king was gone, looking at the fake king. Kosei hummed.

"You baka, why would you disguise yourself as someone you don't even know! How stupid can you be?" Kosei rambled.

"Ma, Kosei chan, it was funny wasn't it?" He asked and Kosei turned her head the other way. She was too old for these games. He turned towards Tsunade and bowed. "Nice to see you Tsunade sama!" He said, as his voice turned back to his silvery tones.

"I saw right through you."

"I've kept my oath, I have no wish to fight you," he said his face turning back to his original one even with the mask on and he wrapped his arm around Kosei's shoulders, "I'll take my mother and leave!" He said keeping a straight face.

"I won't let you leave!" Tsunade sama stated bluntly and had her stick touch the ground. Immediately an illusion of water filling the room appeared but Kosei could tell it wasn't real because she wasn't really getting wet. She clung to Kakashi who held her even closer nearly lifting her just like the last time. The water disappeared and it seemed as if they were floating in the middle of a valley. Kosei didn't dare to look down; she only noticed that Orochimaru had clung to her dress skirt.

"Don't look down, you'll be dragged and fall! It's just her illusion!" Kakashi warned her and looking at him, Kosei saw the black spots in his red eye moving as if calculating everything; in an instant they took another shape, a triangular one.

"It's time I showed your mother your true form!" Madam Tsunade stated with a smirk and Kosei saw stars falling around them and turning into human shapes chanting and seemingly dancing around them. Their chanting caused her headache but she also noticed how ragged Kakashi's breathing had gotten. Once she turned her eyes to him she saw him slowly turn into a strange feathered form resembling a crow like creature all the while the little stars ran around them chanting.

"Kakashi no, please! It's her trap!" Kosei yelled at him trying to get him to listen and her hands went to cover his eye that wasn't seeing through the illusion as his scarred one worked through the trap. "Kakashi!" she mumbled and with that, holding her and dragging Orochimaru, he flew them off from the garden, breaking the glass rooftop and to the place where he had left his air board. The illusion was broken at once and he turned back into his human form as he landed them on the seat of the air board along with Orochimaru and the newly arrived Yamato. Kakashi started the air board at once so that they could leave and it flew off the palace.

"Hold tight!" He ordered looking lively that he had escaped as Kosei tried to hold on not to fall. Kakashi was holding the steering wheel. "Kosei, sit up front!" Kakashi demanded and Kosei shot him a look.

"Jerk!" She hissed but he only chuckled. She felt her whole dress lifting because of the wind and she hoped no one would notice.

"Ma, Kosei chan, you cannot call me jerk! Look here you brought half the palace with you!" He teased in relation to Orochimaru and the dog, Yamato.

"Well it is too late to toss them now! And I didn't bring them with me; everyone seems to be after you!" She blamed him.

"Well, Kosei now you steer!" He told her and Kosei gasped.

"What? I don't know how to drive this!" She exclaimed but he didn't seem to listen.

"They seem to be after us," Kakashi let her know and she saw that they were being followed by more air boards and from their outfits; they were obviously men of the king. "I'll tackle them! Fly straight back home to the hills in the Wastes!" He ordered her and Kosei was about to speak when he looked down at her with his serious eyes. "The ring will guide you!" He told her and looking at it for a minute Kosei saw light beaming from it and forming into a straight line leading her way. She smiled with enthusiasm as she looked at it but then another thought occurred to her and her eyes narrowed towards Kakashi.

"Why did you send me to Tsunade if you were coming yourself?" She asked him and he chuckled in an embarrassed manner, placing his hand behind his head.

"Well, your presence actually helped! She is so terrible to face alone!" he defended himself but Kosei would have none of it, "You really saved me back there!" he leaned down and told her as she took the steering wheel to her hands. "I was in grave danger!" he mumbled and with that let go of the wheel on for Kosei to realize it was more difficult as the air board hovered to their left ready to fall on a tall church like building but for her quick movement in steering to her right repeatedly so that they would be more balanced. Kakashi laughed at that. "You're good!" He mused.

"Don't joke around!" Kosei spat as she tried to control the air board. With that Kakashi chuckled and raising his hand to his left he managed to make a double of the air board, Kosei, Orochimaru holding Yamato and himself flying close to the original ones. He would distract them until Kosei and the others arrived home.

 **A/N: I forgot to thank you people for the reviews and for adding the story to favorites** **I really hope you like the rest of it especially the Spirited Away plot when we get there!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Shizune grabbed at the hat that had fallen from Kosei and took it to Madam Tsunade who sat back on her chair again feeling empowered by the excitement.

"Thank you, that's the most fun I've had in ages," she said as she took the hat from Shizune. "I suppose Kakashi, thinks he has escaped! His mother is awfully young!" She chuckled and with that she had Shizune order soldiers to look every corner of the city for Kakashi and his companions. They went everywhere, from his shop which they found it empty and leading to nowhere to all the other homes and shops that they could find in the capital until they realized the man just wasn't there. The orders even reached the Wastes and Porthaven but still, no one was to be found anywhere.

Kosei continued to fly even with the rain pouring down on her and the others on board and her eyes would dart from her ring to the sky. She wished they would just arrive back home and that they wouldn't be under the rain much longer since she was starting to feel the cold to her bones.

Not long after nightfall had fallen, Kosei flew over the Wastes and looked from her above her hometown feeling nothing but concern about her sister whom she had nearly forgotten with all the madness she was going through. She hoped Kurenai was well. Damn, she was the older child, how had she gotten herself in such a mess? She should be at her little hat shop trying to stitch and sew on hats, not in the middle of the sky flying over to another home, and yet she had no regrets. Kosei smiled as the sky cleared and the rain stopped pouring. "We should be close!" she told the others and for the first time wondered what would happen to them. She flew over the hill slightly leaned towards the ground and was beyond happy that the castle moved ahead towards them.

It seemed as if it was waiting for them and she noticed Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke waiting from the little balcony close to the bathroom.

"Granny!" Naruto waved and Kosei realized as she approached that she didn't know how to stop the air board.

"Naruto kun, help!" She shouted, "I don't know how to stop this thing!" and without even stopping, the castle seemed to open its mouth and devour the air board along with its passengers into the castle. They collided with the wall that met the main hall and fell before the fireplace one by one as the air board's engine stopped working.

"How troublesome! You don't even know how to make a proper entrance!" Shikamaru whined and the children ran to help.

"Kosei san," Sasuke mumbled as he and the others pulled them up and he noticed that he had helped an old man who from the moment he laid eyes on Sasuke grinned a snake like grin and didn't dart his eyes from him. Sasuke tried to ignore him and yet something was odd about the old man. A dog also appeared and Naruto chuckled as it cough-barked at him.

"Nice doggie!" he mumbled patting its head. Konohamaru had also awakened from the noise and walked down the stairs to see what the fuss was all about.

"Kosei san," Sakura helped her up and Kosei embraced the little girl who looked very worried.

"I'm home now!" she said and sighed at the mess behind her.

She didn't spend much time explaining what had happened or whom she had dragged along with her and Kosei certainly didn't find any courage to deal with the mess of the broken wall. It had already grown too late and she told the children off to their rooms as she prepared her own bed for Orochimaru and Yamato who stood close by the fireplace as she and Sakura decided to share a room for the night at least.

She was half asleep and curled into her blanket when she thought she heard the front door creaking open and then heavy footsteps on their floor reaching Kakashi's bedroom. Taking herself slowly off the bed, not to wake Sakura up, she walked barefooted to the door and slightly opened it to see bird footsteps, large one, covered in blood and feathers that had fallen. Ignoring the fact that she was only in her night gown and her hair from sleep, Kosei walked outside and took one of the black feathers in her hands only for it to dissipate in her hands. The blood was also not a good sign.

Deciding to see for herself she followed the trace of the feathers and blood into Kakashi's room but she stopped in her tracks right before entering. "Kakashi?" She hummed.

The door opened and she saw Kakashi in a torn shirt with a number of scars and even his face wasn't covered because of the torn mask. He looked as if he was about to crumble and yet he was smiling. Kosei stared at him not being able to tell whether she was concerned or angry at his foolishness.

"Kosei chan, I know I am handsome but please don't stare at me like that!" he hummed huskily and it was easier for Kosei to realize what she felt. She pushed him back blushing and he nearly fell to the floor his eyes widened.

"Just who do you think you are?" She spat and with a twist of his hand the door was closed behind her ensuring that the children wouldn't wake at her yelling. "Getting yourself in that kind of danger for no reason!" "You shouldn't have come, you sent me there!" Kosei took a deep breath and realized she was better heard and her voice wasn't that croaked. "You do not send old women for your errands if it is to do them yourself!" She yelled and with that Kakashi was back on his feet and pushing her to the door with her hands in his.

"But you are not an old woman!" He simply stated looking at her straight in her eyes with his smile nearly forming chuckles. Kosei stared at him as if he was insane and then as her eyes darted to the mirror to his right she saw that he was right and gasped. Her hair was black once again back in a braid falling to her waist with only two shorter curled strands on both her temples, and her skin was without wrinkles, she was taller back to her height and completely aware that Kakashi was nearly crushing her being too close.

She turned to him with her eyes wide and saw how darkly he was staring at her, "How did you-"

"I didn't, Orochimaru's magic is wearing off but it is still a curse and it will take time!" Kakashi explained and for a while they sat there looking at each other. "If you must know, I was aware the whole time since you came here!"

"Then why didn't you help me?" She asked and he leaned even closer, close enough for her to feel his breath on her and she tried not to let her heart speed up or else he would notice.

"I could not, I have to break my curse first." He muttered.

"How will you fight your demons when you cannot even face them?" She asked him looking at his eyes. She wondered whether his scarred one helped him read people's minds. She wanted to know whether he could read her thoughts, see through her but even if he did, Kakashi didn't show it. He seemed however troubled by what she had asked. "I am sorry I shouldn't have…" she wasn't able to finish because he had taken her into his embrace and Kosei could only turn red.

"Don't ever take these off from you!" he spoke softly and once he pulled back showed her, her braid and the red thread along with two little bells which he had placed at the bottom of her hair.

"What is this?" Kosei asked marveling at it certain that she hadn't seen anything lovelier.

"It's my most prized possession!" Kakashi admitted and Kosei was in shock once again. Why had he given it to her if that was the case? "Can you keep it safe for me, for a while?" He asked her and she simply nodded unable to do anything else. It was all so overwhelming and she thought she needed to sleep. Pulling the door open behind her she stepped outside and waited for Kakashi to close it. He smiled at her goof like, "We can help each other Kosei, and I always say that teamwork is important!" He said and after he greeted her goodnight, Kosei found herself walking back to bed.

When she woke up, Kosei was old again.

The water began running which meant Kakashi was having one of his baths again. She sighed as she sat on the fireplace looking at Shikamaru.

Kosei you need to figure out how to break the spell!" Shikamaru whined once again, "We're both running out of time!"

"Meaning Kakashi will turn into a monster hm?" Kosei wondered absentmindedly as she played with the bells in her now gray hair. "Shikamaru, Tsunade told me, he has given you something precious. Where is it? What is it?" Kosei asked him and turned her head to a sleeping Orochimaru who was snoring loudly.

"That's confidential information."

"And if I threaten to throw water on you?"

"How troublesome! You should know Kakashi will die with me!"

Kosei did not continue the conversation with Shikamaru instead she prepared breakfast and waited for everyone to get up. Once Kakashi left she would have everyone help her with the air board that was still inside the castle. However, Kakashi did not leave that day and stayed in his room for most of the part. Once the children ate, they all agreed to help her even Sasuke who didn't seem to get along with the wasted Orochimaru that was sitting on a chair smiling creepily at him all day.

They got rid of the air board in no time with Naruto and his magic of making many clones pulling along with Konohamaru while the rest pushed. Even Turnip Head helped in their little clean up. "They call it a castle but once you get inside it it's just a junk heap!" Kosei sighed as she resumed her cleaning.

The next thing Kosei had to do that day was to feed Orochimaru, the man seemed unable to handle himself and even as she nursed him he wouldn't take his eyes off Sasuke. "Why do you keep looking at that boy in this way?" Kosei asked bothered by how uncomfortable it was making everyone.

"He will be very powerful once he grows up a little! He has motive!" Orochimaru exclaimed with his thin voice and Kosei sighed. "I could make him even stronger though!" He said and at that he had Sasuke's attention.

"Yes well don't try anything or I'll kick you out!" Kosei threatened and still he didn't seem to listen.

"How troublesome, to have some wicked wizard and feed him!" Shikamaru whined and Kosei's eyes narrowed.

"You wouldn't know, would you?"

"Hn!"

Kakashi came running down the stairs by that time, excited about something and Kosei noticed how his scars had vanished even though he was hiding his face behind a mask once again. "Hello everyone!" He greeted and the children smiled at him as they ate their lunch.

"Kakashi sensei, can we keep this puppy?" Naruto asked holding Yamato and Kakashi shrugged.

"An old man and Tsunade's puppy! Shikamaru why did you let them in?" Kakashi asked with his hands to his waist.

"It's not my fault, they blew in with Kosei!" At that Kosei narrowed her eyes at him as Kakashi chuckled a small blush forming on his cheeks. He then turned towards the hole in the wall where Turnip was.

"Oh, you must be Mr. Turnip!" Kakashi said and leaned towards the scarecrow, "Mm you're under quite a spell too!" he added as he looked at him. "Seems like everyone in this family is complicated…" Then he turned towards the rest of the group who were all eating or in Kosei's case, feeding. "Well everyone, this is a busy day! We are moving…" He said and Kosei was certain she heard Shikamaru sigh.

"Oh good, there aren't any shops here in the middle of nowhere and we can eat!" Naruto rejoiced.

"Madam Tsunade can track us up here in no time!" Kakashi said and then turned to Turnip Head, "But you'll have to stay behind, the magic in your spell is too risky!" Kosei's eyes lowered at that since she felt sorry for Turnip Head being all alone in the hills.

Nonetheless Turnip Head moved away from the castle and Kakashi had the time to draw his runes as the rest of the group moved the furniture away to give him easier access. "There he goes again; making old people and children do the hard work while he draws!" Kosei whined and as she saw him looking amused her bells tingled. In the end they all sat on the table as they waited for Kakashi to do his spells. He stepped inside the chalk painted rune and with a small shovel he took Shikamaru from the fireplace and into the rune with him.

"Here goes!" Kakashi said holding Shikamaru. The children watched intently as the magic began to take place. Shikamaru's fire burned brighter and larger and there was a force pulling everything up as the spell took effect. The house began shaping itself and Kosei got the feeling there was no castle to think of anymore. The broken wall was mended and enlarged to a kitchen. More rooms were added as well as a proper second floor and even the proper furniture. There was even a library available by now and Kosei felt that she could clean things easily now even though there was a bit of nostalgia.

They all looked around as Kakashi finished the spell and Shikamaru went back to his normal place in the fireplace. Naruto ran to his master.

"Master, you must teach us the spell!" He beamed and Kakashi smirked.

"You are still too young for that but do not worry," he said and Naruto frowned.

At the time being Kosei felt all too familiar about the place and seeing there was a window before her, she ran to it only to notice that they were in Market Chipping right next to the passing train. Kakashi was next to her in a minute.

"Why here?" She asked him.

"I thought it would suit you being back home, and since we had no other place to hide, I moved us here!" He explained and Kosei let herself smile which was enough gratitude to him since usually she was very strict around him. Kakashi moved towards the door and urged Kosei to follow him. In the meantime, the children had opened the door to the courtyard excited that they even had one.

Konohamaru ran with Naruto and Yamato chasing him as Sakura stood behind laughing with Sasuke by her side. As she passed, Kosei saw even the entrance to her shop from the courtyard. Catching up to Kakashi that was in the main entrance she saw a new color on the dial. "There's a new exit!" Kakashi let her know and turned it to yellow before opening the door. "I wanted to show you something!" He hummed and she followed him ready to see what other he could do to surprise her.

Once she stepped outside her eyes widened and her heart beating fastened with excitement. It was a field surrounding a lake with only a small cottage somewhere by the bank and covered by the hills around them. Flowers and trees appeared from every corner and Kosei swore she hadn't seen scenery quite like this even when they had been travelling around the kingdoms before. She felt young again and when she ran to see in the waters, her reflection appeared so. Chuckling she fell back to the grass closing her eyes from all the content she felt and once she opened them she saw Kakashi staring. "It's so beautiful here!" she told him and he nodded.

"It's my secret garden! I used to come here to practice my magic!" he said leaning down on his knees staring ahead and Kosei turned to look at what he was looking at, which turned out to be the small cottage.

"Do you bring many old women in here?" She teased him and Kakashi was surprised at first but then a blush crept up his cheeks and he smiled as he took off his mask and took a deep breath of fresh air.

"Only those who turn young once in my presence alone!" He said looking directly at her and Kosei found she couldn't tease him anymore. He got to his feet and then helped her up as she brushed off the grass from her shirt and her skirt.

Kakashi led them to the cottage which was surrounded by water but from the side that touched the ground. "How lovely!" Kosei mumbled and approached it faster as Kakashi followed her.

"I used to come here a lot and even spend summers after my father…died!" He said a hint of sadness in his tone and Kosei placed her hands to his cheeks surprising him again.

"You're not alone now, are you?" She asked him and her look of innocence had Kakashi look away almost embarrassed if he could feel such a thing. Kosei sensing the heaviness of the moment thought of how she could tease him next. "And I bet you also read your book here!" she said taking her hands off and placing them on her hips as if to scold him.

Kakashi pouted, "The book, it's not what you think!" he said looking serious, "it has a plot!" He then lightened and Kosei's eyes narrowed.

"It's still indecent things you read of!" She said and then ran off to the little house smiling all the way. She opened the door that led inside and saw that it was empty and just a wooden table with chairs and a bed were in. She tried to understand how he must have felt being here alone even as a child and her heart sank. Kakashi noticed once he saw how still she had gone.

"Ah this brings back memories…" he said entering past her and leaning down he took a little device from under his table and it was like a miniature of a gramophone. Kosei grinned at it. "When you asked me whether I had brought anyone here? I did, they were my old team mates and my master but they are all dead now!" He said and Kosei's hands clutched her dress.

"I am so sorry!" She whispered but he heard all the same.

"It's alright, I cherish their memories now and this well," he said showing her the tiny gramophone, "our sensei would bring us here and putting this on he would have us cooperate with the music to create our magic because there is emotion in every sound!" He explained and Kosei smiled. She walked over to him and took it from his hands. Once she touched it, sounds began ringing from it and it made her grin. They were sounds she had heard at night from the feasts in the castles or the squares where ladies went with their new hats and dresses to dance with gentlemen all night. She remembered how she had leaned on her window those summer nights falling asleep at the sounds and yet remembering nothing the next day.

They sat in peace by the bank, their legs hanging from the cement to the lake. They simply listened to the gramophone. "Tell me the truth Kakashi, let me help you!" She hummed at him, pushing back one of her dark curls that had fallen to her temple and out of her braid. "You are turning into a…?" She didn't know how to put it since she didn't want to offend him by saying monster.

"I built this place for all of you to be comfortable!" He said which only worried Kosei even more.

"And then you'd go away?" She asked him and saw that it had affected him since he remained silent as he watched her. "You won't let me help you and yet you said teamwork is important!" she said and there was another ring from the bells. She felt herself getting old once again. "The good thing about being old is that you don't have much to lose!"

Kakashi was about to say something when he noticed a change in the wind and he turned to his feet to see what was approaching them. Kosei followed his exampled and watch him put his mask back on as a silvery light shined from the south. Eventually they managed to see it was a battleship.

"Why's that flying over there?" he mumbled.

"The enemy's? Ours?"

"What difference does it make? It's on its way to burn cities!" and all of a sudden there was another one flying right above their heads. Kakashi's hand went to Kosei's hand. With his other hand, he raised it towards the battleship flying above them and in a sudden movement the wings stopped working.

"What did you do?" Kosei asked and he seemed to smirk.

"Stopped their engines!" He said looking at it. Sirens began sounding and people seemed to run from the bridges to the inside part. "They seem to be onto us!" He said and Kosei noticed things flying over from the ship to them, she took two steps back and without having time to think, Kakashi lifted her on his shoulder and began running faster than was possible for a human being.

"Oi, I'm not young anymore!" She yelled and yet she could feel his chuckled. Releasing her, he captured her by her hands and nearly turned himself into the creature Kosei had witnessed in Madam Tsunade's garden. His wings hag gotten out and the rest of his body was close as well.

"Move your legs fast!" He commanded as they approached the door to the house and Kosei realizing what he was about to do snapped.

"If you think of…" he only chuckled again and just as she feared dropped her but Kosei never stopped moving her legs which helped her land inside the house as the door opened for her and once she was in the dial changed to another color. Naruto and Konohamaru ran to her as she sat on the stairs she had crash-landed looking stunned at the door.

"Granny, are you alright?" Naruto asked her.

"I've had it with this place!" Kosei stood up despite her aching back.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Have a nice month everyone! For all fellow Orthodox Christians in here, Happy Easter! :D**

Chapter 7

That night as Kosei resumed her stitching out of habit everything seemed to be peaceful inside the house and yet Kakashi hadn't returned which only worried her more. She hadn't gotten any closer to finding out what the contract with the demon was and she was still old and yet her peace was disrupted by Sakura's screams.

Kosei threw her things down and immediately ran to the second floor in Sakura's room but she saw no one there.

"Sakura? What happened?" Kosei asked and heard the children's voices from Sasuke's room. She instantly ran to see what had happened and once there she saw that the children were around Sasuke who was in bed turning back and forth with his hand to the place where the neck met the shoulder. Kosei approached to see the boy looking as if he was in excruciating pain. Naruto was holding Konohamaru who seemed overly disturbed while Sakura was holding Sasuke who seemed to cling to her. "What happened?" Kosei asked and saw how close to tears the children were.

"I came to see if he was alright and I found him on the floor clutching himself, Naruto helped him on the bed!" Sakura said and looking how worried the little girl was, Kosei leaned down to her.

"Sakura chan, don't worry! We will help him but now we must ease his pain, can you make a potion for that? I know you are good with medicine!" Kosei urged her and the girl wiped her tears and nodded. "Naruto please bring me water and a towel from the bathroom!" Kosei said and as the boy left she went to see what was bothering Sasuke so much.

"It hurts!" He hissed as tears began streaming down his eyes and Kosei felt overwhelmed over how vulnerable the boy that seemed fearless a while ago was breaking from the pain.

"It's alright! We'll make it right!" she said and helping him up his pillow she saw through his shirt that a circular mark had appeared on his neck. Naruto came back with water and the towel and didn't leave the bedside again.

"What is wrong with him?" He asked overly worried and Kosei sighed. She didn't know of those things very well and she couldn't tell but she showed Naruto, Sasuke's mark. The boy gasped.

"He has been cursed!" Naruto said and Kosei frowned that was until she realized what could have happened. She walked away from the boys as Sakura was about to come inside the room.

"Give him the potion and once he is soothed down, place the towel with the water to his forehead; h is burning up! I will be right back!" She told the girl who didn't lose any time and went inside to help her friend. Kosei moved to Orochimaru's room and saw that Yamato was also there barking. Orochimaru was smoking and looking livelier than he ought to be.

"What did you do?" She asked him and he sent a wave of smoke towards her.

"What he asked me to, I gave him strength!" He said not even denying his involvement.

"He is a boy, and he is in pain right now! Whatever you did is not helping him in anything!" Kosei spat.

"Give it a night! He will wake up feeling better than ever!"

"If this is one of your schemes and gaining a new body, I swear you won't get away with it!" Kosei threatened and he only smirked.

"If so then you can break his curse too, you'll be used to it by then!" He mocked her and Kosei not wanting to lose any more time with that man, closed the door behind her as she got out along with Yamato and locked Orochimaru in. She went back to Sasuke's room and saw that he had calmed down and had fallen asleep with the towel on his forehead. The others were around him, guarding him from anyone and were a little startled when Kosei came in.

"He seems better, you should get some sleep!" Kosei told them taking Konohamaru who was crumbling from sleep in her arms. "I will stay with him and watch over him!" She told them but both Naruto and Sakura shook their heads.

"No, we should stay with him, he is our friend!" Naruto said with determination and Kosei sighed.

"Fine then, wait here for me!" She said and went to put Konohamaru back to bed. The boy wouldn't wake up until morning and she smiled as his face turned into a smile. She wondered what dream the little boy could already be dreaming. Leaving him with the neon stars lighting his room just as a starry sky would, Kosei knew he would be alright and went to take care of the others.

Knowing that they would get tired eventually she fixed them all beds on the floor with blankets and pillows so that they wouldn't leave Sasuke alone and she herself sat on a chair for the rest of the night. Even as Naruto and Sakura fell asleep from exhaustion, Kosei changed his towel with fresh water and whenever he felt the need she also brought him water as refreshment. Yamato also fell asleep close to Naruto as only Kosei was left awake throughout the night. She was certain that even Shikamaru was resting by now.

By morning, Sasuke was better just as Orochimaru had told her but Kosei didn't let him out of bed just to be certain. People had begun moving away in masses, migrating away from the city which would be plunged into war in a shot span of time. Caravans carried their things away and the town seemed to be left abandoned after a while. Either way, Kakashi had said that they would be safe. Kosei took the time to have flowers in pots out of Kakashi's garden just to lift the mood of the household a bit. Sakura kept cutting apples in bunny shapes for Sasuke to eat while Naruto helped her around with a following Yamato.

"Kosei you have visitors!" Naruto remarked as he opened the front door and Kosei saw that it was her step mother, Mrs. Yuhi that had just arrived on her automobile. The woman radiant as ever, shouted Kosei's name in a tingling manner seemingly happy to see her.

"Mother!" Kosei mumbled stunned that the woman was standing before her even as she ran and took Kosei into a hug.

"Where have you been?" She shouted still in Kosei's face as tears begun streaming down her red eyes, "I searched for you everywhere!" she said, "My, why have you aged like this?" "It's all my fault! Forgive me Kosei!" she kept saying and Kosei let her cry over her shoulder for a while as she hugged her close.

A while later, Kosei showed her mother around who marveled at the new house. "I barely recognize this place!" She beamed looking around. "Who is that?" Mrs. Yuhi asked as she saw old Orochimaru standing before the fireplace. Shikamaru had grown quiet but Kosei could tell he was observing with narrowed eyes. "Oh, your landlord!" Mrs. Yuhi replied on her own as per Kosei's lies to keep her mother out of things. The she turned around to Kosei, "Ah, I didn't tell you, I have a new husband!" Mrs. Yuhi exclaimed and it didn't appear as a surprise to Kosei, she only smiled and congratulated her. "He's such a wonderful man, and he's very rich too!" she said, "we can live together again and you won't have to clean anymore!"

Kosei noticed Naruto who seemed irritated by her mother as he passed by and he mumbled something under his breath. "I'm happy here…" Kosei admitted but her step mother would have none of it.

"We will talk about it but right now the car is waiting and I have to run!" she said and Kosei showed her to the door. As they were out Orochimaru smirked as he noticed the woman had left her purse on the table. He reached for it and as he expected saw that inside there was a gooey like creature just as his henchmen had been and gripping at it so that it wouldn't slip away, he laughed.

"A peeping bug? That's the oldest trick in the books Tsunade!" He hissed and threw it to Shikamaru who devoured it in one bite. The bug must have been cursed however because Shikamaru began coughing dark fumes to the room before he nearly went out. Orochimaru smiled.

Outside Kosei had said goodbye to her stepmother who had left in a car shortly after following the long line of people that were leaving the town. Kosei watched at all of them as Naruto came by her side.

"Is Sasuke kun alright?" Kosei asked him and he nodded, Sakura was also with him so there was nothing to worry about. "They are all running away! The town will be empty!" Kosei hummed observing at the civilians.

"Will you run too, granny?" He asked her and Kosei was surprised at the question. "That's what the lady spoke of…" He said and Kosei recalled how Naruto had narrowed his eyes at her. "You don't have to go you know, we can take care of each other because we are friends!" Naruto said nearly mumbling and without looking at her. Kosei smiled.

"I'm not going anywhere! It seems I will have to put up with your weirdness for a while!" She said and he chuckled with a wide grin on his face.

"You know, granny, sometimes you sound like you are not that old!" He said and laughing both of them got inside.

At the sight of Shikamaru in the state he was, Kosei immediately tried to do something to light him up but he seemed to be hiding beneath the wood that she was throwing and even the hot air didn't help. It darkened outside as she tried to light Shikamaru worried that it would somehow affect Kakashi as well.

"But the paper says we won!" Naruto told Orochimaru who only smirked.

"Only fools swallow such lies!"

"Now who do you think you are? Ttebayo!" Naruto demanded looking at the withered man with annoyance.

"How strange! I cannot get Shikamaru going!" Kosei sighed. She felt like she need some air even for a second in order not to harm Shikamaru anymore. She approached the window of the kitchen and had it open.

"I wouldn't do that," Orochimaru said, "The fire is burning low and he cannot protect us from the henchmen!" Just as Kosei was about to close it again, the first waves of bombs to the Wastes shook the house to the point where she couldn't keep on her feet. She managed to close the window just as a battleship was passing right above them and then she went to check on the shop from the courtyard. She knew that Shikamaru was only guarding the house and not the shop and it wouldn't harm him if she went to look at what was happening from the shop's entrance.

Opening the door she saw fire surrounding Market Chipping and as the bells in her hair rang she also noticed the henchmen that Orochimaru had talked about walking slowly towards the shop. Kosei backed away towards the shop and tried to close the door but the gooey masses seemed to get through from every corner even if she tried. She also noticed that she could run much faster and it seemed as if the spell was truly wearing out but even in times like these she couldn't have her mind on herself. As she passed the courtyard bombs fell beside the shop and she was pushed to the wall from its force.

When she opened her eyes again, Kakashi was covering her body with his protecting her from falling objects. He was in his crow form but for his face. From inside the children, even Sasuke ran near the fireplace as the house began to crumble from the bombings and they all gathered around Orochimaru. "Dramatic as always!" He sighed in amusement and the children shot him with glares.

Seeing his state, Kosei found she couldn't hold back the tears and she leaned in on him. Kakashi wrapped his arms around her. "I'm so sorry!" She sniffed and his silence was terrifying her because she wondered whether he had that much humanity left in order to speak.

"No, I'm sorry! I had too many enemies tonight!" He told her and she was more than glad to hear his silvery voice. They went inside together with her holding his hand afraid that he would fall in the next minute.

"Sensei!" Naruto and Sakura beamed once they saw him and he smiled at them.

"I'm alright!" He reassured them but it wasn't enough. Kakashi walked to Shikamaru and using his magic took the peeping bug from Shikamaru's fire making him light up again.

"That idiot fed me something nasty!" Shikamaru said as if finally able to breathe. Kakashi turned to Orochimaru.

"Was that a gift from Tsunade?" He asked and Orochimaru smirked.

"If it isn't Kakashi," he said, "I feel like we need a nice long chat!"

"Likewise but we've no time now." He sighed and turned towards the rest of the group, "Stay here everyone, Shikamaru will protect you!"

"We can make our own spells, ttebayo!" Naruto whined and Kakashi patted his head.

"You're still young and out of the Academy, you have no permission yet!" He said and the three of them sighed. What point was there in the rules in a time like this? "I'll see to things outside!" He said and walked out in a hurry. Kosei ran after him.

"Please, wait!" she hurried and Kakashi turned to her, "You don't have to leave!" She said.

"Another round of bombs is coming, even Shikamaru cannot stop those."

"Stay then and you can work together, you say how teamwork is important all the time," she pleaded, "you don't have to be alone in all this, let us help you with what we can!"

"Please keep my heart safe!" He whispered in her ear and with that he was off without Kosei having any time to react.

 **A/N: Thank you for the follows and adding the story to favorites once again** **, I am nearly done with Howl's Moving Castle and the next one will be Spirited Away. Can you guess which Naruto characters will be Haku and Chihiro? Thank you for reading this!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Kosei hadn't spoken much since Kakashi had left. Her thoughts consumed her and he felt angry that he wouldn't let any of them help him. Even his apprentices were trying to guard the house as much as they could but in truth, their thoughts were with their master and the kind of danger he had decided to face alone in order to protect them.

Kosei was standing by the door feeling it being pushed as the Blob Men tried to find a way in yet she held it to its place before she decided to use the clock like device, turning its hand to the color green. Everything fell into quiet once again and when she opened the door she saw that they were now in the hills above the Wastes. As she stepped outside she saw that it had gone dark and it was raining heavily and yet her hometown was on fire which lit the sky around them.

They had even returned back to the castle which seemed to have crumbled down after Kakashi had made a home for them all. Kosei ran to get a better view of the town after she gathered her skirts without being bothered by the rain droplets that were falling on her.

"Granny!" Naruto called her as she nearly grasped the image of flying creatures along with the battleships and she hoped that her eyes were simply deceiving her and that Kakashi was nowhere near them. She turned to Naruto and ran towards him just as Turnip Head showed up.

"Naruto kun, come inside!" Kosei demanded as she ran in followed by him and Yamato. She went to the fireplace startling Shikamaru who was trying to eat on a log. "Shikamaru, you have to move the castle!" She said and he didn't even react.

"Hn, move you say? Do you have any idea how tiresome that is, and besides there is nothing to move, the castle is a mess!" He said and continued chewing on his log. Kosei got a coat for Orochimaru and placed it on his shoulders.

"No, as long as we stay here, Kakashi will try to protect us and that might get him killed!" She said trying to reason with him.

"Orochimaru, get up!" Kosei tried to help him but he frowned.

"You can't tell me what to do!" He whined and Kosei glared at him.

"Shut up and do as I tell you!"

"Just because you got young again…" he continued muttering but Kosei didn't have time for Orochimaru's whines and she hadn't really noticed that she had become young again but glancing at her hair she saw it had gotten back to a dark braid of curls.

"Madam Tsunade will find us right away!" Shikamaru argued as Kosei helped the old wizard up.

"She already has, at this rate we won't make it alive!" She said, "Sasuke kun, Sakura chan, help him please!" She told the two of them and regretted it at once when she noticed how Orochimaru's eyes gleamed at Sasuke's approach. The boy didn't seem happy about it either.

"Granny, the castle is falling apart!"

"Naruto you idiot, stop calling her granny!" Sakura growled raising her fist and the boy blushed.

"There is no time now, we have to go!" Kosei interrupted. As soon as her hands were free, she ran back to Shikamaru and taking a shovel she pointed it towards him. "You, too, hop up!" She told him and saw how nervous he got but there was no other way.

"I cannot possibly do that, the contract won't allow me to!" he cried trying to push back from the shovel but Kosei was persistent. Kosei felt she was out of patience.

"If you two cannot solve this, I'll do it!" And with that she bashed the shovel under him picking Shikamaru up along with most of his logs so that he wouldn't be put out.

"Cut it out already!" Shikamaru whined but as he saw that he had no choice he went silent and only glared at Kosei. "If I go out, the house will crumble!"

"Good!" Kosei murmured and one by one everyone left for the hills leaving Kosei behind with Shikamaru in her hands. Kosei went first and she held Shikamaru inside last since she didn't want the house to crumble with her inside. Once they were all out, just as Shikamaru had said, everything fell down to pieces until there was nothing left but literal waste in those hills.

"Perfect, I do love the rain!" Orochimaru whined but everyone ignored him as Kosei tried to shield Shikamaru from the rain although she doubted rain would do a demon anything.

"I told you it would collapse!" Shikamaru said in a matter of fact way yet Kosei was trying to look for another way in and as she did find a hole-like entrance, Turnip followed behind along with the others. They were back inside the destroyed room with a leaking ceiling and Kosei found she had to listen to another round of whining from the fire demon because of the droplets falling on his head. "I will go out, Kosei!" He grumbled but Kosei found a dry area to put him on as she gathered more wood for him.

The children brought Orochimaru back inside and let him sit on a bench close to Shikamaru as Kosei found even more wood for Shikamaru to eat. "The castle is out!" Sakura noticed helping the old wizard sit.

"I told you if we had stayed put, Kakashi and I would have managed things!" Shikamaru said as he held a long with his mouth as if it were a cigar. Kosei threw another log at him and then stared at the fire intently.

"Shikamaru please, there is no other way!" she mumbled. "We have to go to him. Move the place where we are standing now!" she requested almost in a plea and he seemed to consider it.

"Yes, we have to help him! We are his apprentices and we don't let any of us behind!" Naruto backed her up and Kosei smiled at him. "A genius such as you and so strong at the same time, you can do it!" He added quite excitedly.

In the end he sighed, defeated by the circumstances and then turned to Kosei and the children. "Fine, but you will have to give me something that Kakashi would hold dearly to!" He said and Kosei straightened as she glanced back at Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke and Konohamaru.

"How about his book?" Sasuke asked and Kosei turned red.

"Ehh? You think a porn book is what he holds dearly to?" Naruto asked with wide eyes in disbelief. "No, No, it must be something else!" He mumbled as the four of them went into thinking thoroughly about it. Kosei turned back to Shikamaru and tried to think too; as she did the motion of her hair being flung shook the bells making them ring. "Ah, I know! It's the bells!" Naruto pointed to Kosei's hair and her eyes went wide as well as she remembered what Kakashi had asked of her which was to keep the bells safe.

"That's right Naruto, you actually found it!" Sakura praised him and he blushed again with content at being congratulated by Sakura. Kosei smiled and untied the red thread from her braid and held the bells over Shikamaru.

"Will that do?" She asked him and once he nodded, she threw the bells to him and Shikamaru devoured them whole. As the thread was gone, her hair went loose but she watched as Shikamaru turned into a large fire strong enough to lift a small portion of the damaged castle which was only the living room and began moving it once again. Everyone held tight to their positions as the castle moved downhill with Turnip Head following closely behind. "Amazing, Shikamaru, you are the best!" Kosei beamed as she looked ahead towards the town, with Yamato by her side.

"Imagine what I could do if I ate one of the apprentices!" Shikamaru wondered and had the children step back with narrowed eyes. Orochimaru apparently liked the joke and nearly rolled down from laughter. Kosei sighed and through the holes on the walls she was able to see Kakashi and the others creatures flying all over him surrounding him from every corner of the red sky until a thunder was released from where he was standing and Kosei guessed it had been his doing.

"Shikamaru hurry!" She cried and gasped as she turned to see at what Orochimaru was doing.

Orochimaru hadn't been laughing only because of Shikamaru's previous joke, apparently while observing Shikamaru he had found something invaluable at his core which was surrounded by logs protecting him. "Oh my!" His eyes beamed as he approached and pushed the shovel that was holding Shikamaru away from the logs. Naruto threw himself at him as he saw the old wizard take Shikamaru in his hands and grasp at him. "Kakashi's heart!" Orochimaru laughed and once he clutched at him, the castle began to move abnormally from side to side and then forth. They nearly fell over the hill as the children were about to perform a magic to save them while Orochimaru still held on to the heart.

Kosei noticed however that the fire of Shikamaru wasn't put out and it began burning Orochimaru as he began sobbing at its hold. Kosei tried to stand up and walked to him in the midst of chaos, trying to reach for the heart. "Let go!" She tried to tell him, "You will both die! Let go of him already!" She cried but he seemed determined.

"I have to get back to my form!" He kept muttering. Kosei felt tears streaming down her eyes and not being able to keep her hands on the fire any longer she went back and yanking a bucket of leaking water inside, she threw it at Orochimaru. _I'm so sorry Kakashi_. She kept thinking as even Naruto and Sakura tried to stop her but where too late. The fire was put out and Orochimaru was left grabbing a light blue fire which seemed to retreat in his fist.

At that moment the house parted in two because of Shikamaru losing his strength and it had Kosei falling down a pit along with Yamato who jumped with her.

"KOSEI!" She heard Naruto yell before she closed her eyes still apologizing to Kakashi on the inside. "KOSEI!"

She waited for it. Kosei waited for her body to hit the cold stones that waited for her in the end of the pit but the fall never came. Instead she felt arms wrap around her and that same sense of floating she had felt once upon a time when Kakashi had saved her. When she opened her eyes she saw a stranger holding her as he jumped from one rock to another finally bringing them down the cliff into the pit.

Her eyes were wide and worry was visible throughout her features. She wanted to ask him who he was but the voice didn't seem to come out of her throat. She felt so numb with gratefulness that she just couldn't bring herself to react. The man looked at her with naturally wide eyes consisted of two black irises that seemed to stare into ones soul. His hair was brown and disheveled although not more than Kakashi's wild ones.

"Who are you?" She eventually managed to ask him and he looked at her with an embarrassed smile.

"I suppose there is no resemblance to me and my other form, I'm Yamato!" He said and Kosei looked at him wide eyed once again.

"Yamato!" she mumbled and she thought that she could never get as surprised as she got at that moment by then.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I am having trouble on whether to change the rating from T to M or not :/ it would really help if I knew what is on your minds as well** **but nonetheless thank you for sticking up with the story and I hope you like the rest** **!**

Chapter 9

Once they were down and safe, Kosei couldn't help but look around and the image of the castle being destroyed in that manner along with all the feelings she was holding back, brought tears to her eyes.

"Kosei san, what's wrong?" He asked as she began sniffling.

"Look what I've done, I poured water on Shikamaru…" she began crying at the thought, "What If I've killed Kakashi?" She wondered, "What must have happened to the others?" She rambled as she fell on her knees and Yamato feeling slightly uncomfortable placed his hand on her shoulder.

"I don't think that would be enough to kill Kakashi senpai, and as for the kids, well I think they are just fine! They are too tough!" He reassured her and it slightly made her feel better. As she tried to calm herself, her ring beamed light capturing her attention and that of Yamato and she saw where it was leading to. Kosei then stared back at the ring.

"The ring, it's working! Maybe they are still alive!" She breathed. "Show me where he is!" Kosei mumbled to her ring as the light went out. She followed the light from previously, to a mass of metal junk and pushed it away from what seemed to be an entrance. Yamato turned into a dog once again. "It's the castle door!" She said knowing that Yamato could hear her now and pushed the lever to open it.

Wind blew from the inside and another pit was revealed and yet Kosei knew she had to go inside of it. Taking a deep breath she got inside with Yamato following right behind her. Everything was dark and it seemed as if they were in some sort of abyss until a dim light shined ahead revealing the very room that Kakashi had showed Kosei when he had made the house. It was the room from the little house in the middle of a valley filled with flowers and surrounded by water yet this time it seemed as if the house was occupied. Books and letters as well as food and clothes were here and there and Kosei wondered whether she had made a mistake but upon noticing the small gramophone she reconsidered.

Yamato had gone to the door and was trying to push it open; Kosei followed him and opened the door leading them both outside. It was night apparently and the sky was full of falling stars. Kosei stared mesmerized for a while since she had never seen so many falling stars at the same time. She was reminded of her mother, Mrs. Ao.

"You know darling, you were born on a night filled with falling stars and I wished for you to have a thousand adventures!" Mrs. Ao would tell her so many times. "I know my wish will come true!" She had said in her deathbed and Kosei couldn't see it at the time but now the memory brought back tears in her eyes. She wanted to tell her mother that she was right and so she closed her eyes and wished for it.

What caught her attention however was the fact that the stars were all falling around them, splashing in the ground in small forms resembling Shikamaru and his fire and at that Kosei gasped. Her finger began to hurt from the ring shrinking until the ring was gone and Kosei felt relief again and she knew she had found the answer to the contract.

She specifically got it when she saw a young boy with grey silvery hair and a dark mask hiding his features approaching one of the fallen stars. "Kakashi!" Kosei mumbled as she saw how melancholic his look was and she gathered it must have been around the time he lost his friends. Kosei realized she was back in time and this could be after all the night she was born. Kakashi seemed no more than ten. "This must be Kakashi's childhood!" Kosei wondered as she ran towards him.

However, she wasn't fast to approach him as she got one of the stars that fell near him and looked at it with wonder. It seemed as if he was even talking to it yet Kosei could hear nothing from where she was. The boy before her, then, lowered his mask and ate the fallen star which made him lean down in pain clutching at the part of his body where his heart was until Shikamaru appeared from it. At that, Kosei lost the ground underneath her in quite a literal manner as the earth opened and the dark abyss seemed to come into sight once again. Kosei held Yamato close to her so that they wouldn't get lost but looked at young Kakashi one last time.

"KAKASHI!" She yelled getting their attention. The young boy looked at her startled. "It's me Kosei, I will help you, I know how! Wait for me in the future!" Kosei screamed as she fell but at least she was certain that they had heard her.

Yamato led them out of the dark abyss once again and they were able to walk away from the same entrance that they had entered and Kosei came in sight with the wreck of the castle once again. What caught her attention however was the bundle of the crow dark feathers that she knew belonged to Kakashi. He seemed to be barely breathing and there was no indication that he was still human except for the fact that he had heard Kosei call him and he had come to her.

Kosei walked to him slowly still unsure whether he could understand that it was her before him. "Kakashi." She hummed pushing away the feathers to reveal his expressionless face. "I'm sorry it took so long!" Kosei said trying to stay calm and not let herself cry thinking that she had done this to him when she had poured the water on Shikamaru. "You were waiting all this time! You knew all along who I was!" She said and snuggled closer to him taking him in her embrace trying to see if there was truly a void in where his heart should be. "Take me to the others, to Shikamaru! I know how to save you now!" She mumbled still with him in her embrace.

Instantly he revealed one of his feet which would usually be used to grasp on a prey or hop from one branch to other on normal birds but Kosei was able to step on it after letting go of Kakashi and Yamato followed her example so that he wouldn't be let back. Kosei held on to him as Kakashi flew them away as the sun was about to rise.

To Kosei it didn't feel the same like that time when they had floated together. He was in pain now and barely holding on to his humanity. She only hoped that he would find the others in time so that she could do what she had to.

0o0o0o

Despite all, what was left of the castle which was only the floor and the two metal legs that moved it here and there were still on the move. On top of it, Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke and Konohamaru were trying to hold on and think of a plan in order to find Kakashi and save him, all the while Orochimaru plotted with Shikamaru in his hands. Turnip Head was also there looking from one way to the other.

"They are not coming back!" Orochimaru chuckled making Naruto angry at the process.

"Shut up, who the hell asked you! You know nothing about them!" He yelled with Sakura shaking her head at him.

"It's no use, Naruto! Leave it be, it's because of him that we are in this mess!" She mumbled as if she was actually afraid of him especially after the incident with Sasuke. When she looked at the latter he was glaring at Orochimaru while holding his neck. The mark was burning him apparently and she couldn't do anything about it because there was nothing to make a potion with as they were. Sasuke got up in his feet.

"You're not so powerful now, are you?" Sasuke asked the old wizard with a smirk forming on his lips and the wizard revealed his snake like tongue.

"Even so, you wouldn't stand a chance!" Orochimaru said and just as Sasuke was about to form on of his fire or thunder magic, the sound of an aircraft disturbed their peace and they all had to look up. Orochimaru laughed hysterically and rose to his feet as he was the little aircraft approaching them. In the blink of an eye, Turnip Head was bouncing around the old wizard while Naruto had jumped on him, trying to take Shikamaru away from Orochimaru's hands. "You little brat!" Orochimaru hissed and Sasuke jumped into the conflict as well trying to help Naruto with the heart. "Why do you help them? What have they taught you up to now?"

"That's none of your business!" Sasuke gritted his teeth trying to grab the heart as Naruto was knocked out from behind. Orochimaru grinned.

"I could teach you so much more, you could fulfill all your goals if you were to come to me!" The wizard said and chuckling he let Sasuke have Shikamaru, "You will come to me, I know it!" He said and jumping off the castle floor, he was caught by a man in a suit and glasses as well as grey hair kept back. "Kabuto always in time!" Orochimaru said and then turned to Sasuke again. "You will know where to find me!" He said and with that the aircraft was off. Sakura went to Naruto and tried to find where his wound was but there was nothing.

"It's alright Sakura chan, I heal fast!" Naruto said and Sakura sighed in relief.

"Sasuke kun, are you hurt?" She asked him then and he simply shook his head while still looking at the point where Orochimaru along with that other man had disappeared.

They were interrupted by Turnip Head's bouncing once again. "Look, they found us!" Konohamaru beamed pointing towards the sky. "They are alive!"

"Of course they are, what did you think ttebayo!" Naruto whined and they all waited for them as they landed and Kakashi fell face first on the floor exhausted. Kosei leaned down and turned him the other way as the others circled around them. "Is he dead?" Naruto asked and Kosei shook her head.

"No, he's fine." She said and then looked around to see Sasuke holding the heart. "Where is Orochimaru?"

"He left!" Sasuke simply said and extended his hand to give her Shikamaru.

"Shikamaru?" She hummed and his little eyes went open.

"Kosei, being involved in contracts sure is tiresome!" He said with a weak voice and Kosei smiled. "I won't do it again!" He said.

"If I give Kakashi his heart, will it kill you?" She asked him.

"Probably not, if you do it!" He said, "after all, we both survived the water you dumped on me!"

"May you live a thousand years and may Kakashi recover his heart…" Kosei mumbled as she held Shikamaru over Kakashi. Leaning him towards Kakashi's chest she pushed the little flame into it and kept her hands there until she could hear the heartbeat.

A new light appeared from where Shikamaru had been and had everyone gasp in amazement.

"What's that?" Naruto pointed towards the light in the sky.

"I'm free!" It spoke and they realized it had been Shikamaru's voice. The little demon turned into a human form although there were still beams around him making it obvious that he was actually a fire demon. His form was different than they had imagined and yet it suited him. His smile was lazy and he seemed tall as Naruto. Long dark hair was fixed in a ponytail ending in spikes in the end on top of his head. Naruto and Sakura ran to him and looked at him baffled by the sudden turn.

"So you're the same age as us!" Sakura said looking at him, "I still get the feeling I have seen you somewhere before!"

"Hn, troublesome!" Shikamaru hummed, "Just like you I was at Konoha Academy of Magic here in Ingari but our teams was one of the ones that disappeared after the night with the falling stars and i can't remember how i ended up as a replacement for what Kakashi had done when he was young, many of us were cursed and turned into demons by that evil wizard with the mask, and luckily I was able to find a host in master Kakashi since he already had swollen the star!" He explained.

"Why don't we remember you?" Sasuke asked him still suspicious of the boy in front of them.

"Because…it must have been the spell of the Third Magister…" Kakashi groaned, startling everyone that he was awake.

"Sensei you are alive!" Naruto and Sakura jumped on him earning glares from Kosei as Kakashi groaned again but laughed at his students.

"How about you Sasuke kun? Aren't you pleased to see me?" Kakashi joked and the boy simply turned his face the other way with a slight blush on his cheeks. Once Kakashi was free he tried to move but he only fell back. As he did, the floor around them began to creak and the metal legs holding them on top of the hill broke resulting in the wooden mass to slide down the hill too fast for anyone to be able to stop it.

"You broke Shikamaru's spell!" Sakura shouted to Kosei as they slid down the hill, each of them trying to hold on to the other. Shikamaru turned into his star form and tried to stop the slide but it was Turnip Head that jumped from his spot, before the wooden raft stopping in that manner the pace but at the same time breaking his stick. Eventually as they stopped, Naruto and Konohamaru grabbed Turnip Head who was broken.

"Turnip Head!" Konohamaru cried as Yamato barked. He began crying and Naruto stood behind him trying to comfort the little boy.

"Konohamaru I'm sure he is alright, we'll fix him you'll see!" Kosei told him and the boy tried to stop however his tears had already wetted the turnip that served as the head as they disappeared the scarecrow began moving in spasm. Naruto pulled Konohamaru back and everyone stood silent watching as it jumped on air once again and landed as a human this time.

A man appeared in a military uniform of Ingari but with the royal badge, that meant he was part of the Konoha Academy, on his chest. He leaned down and took off his hat to greet all of them and Kosei was dumbfounded for the millionth time."Thank you so much for saving me!" He kindly said and threw his cigar away. His hair was dark blue and there was the hint of a beard to his jaw. Konohamaru stopped crying at once and instead he grinned widely.

"Uncle!" He said and ran to the man's arms. Shikamaru was next to get excited and Kosei realized why when he called the man, sensei.

"Oh, Shikamaru, Konohamaru! You guys haven't changed one bit!" He beamed and hugged them both but let go of Shikamaru as the beams began to burn him. "Ah, we will have to work on that!" He told his apprentice and Kosei raised her brows.

"Who are you?" She said as she was still holding Kakashi.

"I'm a master just like the man you are holding is and I was one of those cursed by the masked man, I'm sorry if I scared you and thank you for taking care of my uncle and apprentice!" He said and Shikamaru narrowed his eyes.

"Technically she tried to kill me!" He whined but the man ignored him with a grin.

"I'm Asuma Sarutobi, one of the sons of the Third Magister!" He introduced himself and Kosei smiled.

"Oh, how cool! That means you are the grandson of the Third!" Naruto marveled talking to Konohamaru who nodded with a blush. "And you even saved your uncle from the spell!"

"Ah, yes it would take a family member to do so but I got lost along the way once that tornado was cast and I couldn't find my way back!" Asuma said placing his head on the back of his neck.

At that moment Kosei felt Kakashi stir and saw as he was slowly opening his eyes. "Ah, what a racket! What's the fuss?" Kakashi asked with half open eyes.

"We seem to be breaking ten curses a day!" Sasuke mumbled looking at him. Kakashi's eyes darted to Asuma and he smiled.

"Yo, where you've been?" He asked Asuma who narrowed his eyes.

"You couldn't even tell where I was, could you?" Asuma asked annoyed at his friend. Kakashi tried to lift himself but he fell down on Kosei's lap with another groan.

"I feel terrible, like I'm trapped under a stone!" He said and Kosei smiled.

"Baka, you've been fighting nonstop for days and you do have a heart now! You know a heart's a heavy burden!" She said her expression softening.

"I see that you are back to!" He said with a chuckle as he reached for her hair and Kosei tried not to blush.

"Sh- shut up; you have no idea how much trouble we went through!" She called embarrassed and he chuckled again.

"Now now, Kosei chan, don't tell me you feel embarrassed because you have feelings for me?" He teased her and Kosei gasped.

"When did I ever say anything like that, just shut up and get some rest!" She shouted.

"Oh I forgot to give you this!" Shikamaru said and walking to Kosei he gave her back the bells that seemed as good as new.

"Thank you Shikamaru!" She said and taking them she handed them back to Kakashi who sighed.

"I told you not to take them off!" He said and reached for her hand where he tied the red thread again. "There, all better!" He sighed and once again tried to stand up with Kosei's help this time.

Yamato turned into his human form as well and scared Naruto and Konohamaru who pointed fingers at him accusatorily. "Who else is going to turn human?"Naruto shouted making them laugh. Yamato smiled too.

"I'm sorry to startle you but Madam Tsunade would like a word!" He said and at that Kosei turned her eyes to Kakashi who was leaning on her with a hand around her shoulders. "She wants to let you know that she is sorry and that she has no intention of harming any of you!" He said and Kakashi sighed.

"I know she is not a bad woman and she is the Fifth Magister after all, she was thinking of her people first!"

"That's right; she wants to congratulate you personally if that is possible!" Yamato said.

"Is that alright with you?" Kakashi asked Kosei looking down at her and Kosei was surprised.

Kosei nodded but return in the capital meant that her adventure was probably over. She really hoped that wouldn't be the case.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Madam Tsunade had been waiting for them, patiently sitting on her armchair with Shizune by her side holding the little pig. The gardens were just as Kosei had last seen them and the place made her feel uncomfortable but this time it was different. The Madam claimed she wanted to congratulate them, yet Kosei stood in the back and allowed for the others to speak.

Asuma had Shikamaru and Konohamaru beside him, while Kakashi had Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke. Yamato had turned into his human form once again and had gone to stand by the Madam.

"You did well Yamato, you can rest for now!" The Madam told him and before bowing Yamato threw a last glance on the group behind him with a smiling face. Tsunade then turned her face towards them as well once Yamato left and she grinned. Pleased at what she was seeing. "I see you have been saved!" She told Kakashi and the man nodded.

"I sure put my team in a lot of trouble but it was worth it!" He said leaning his head towards Asuma and Shikamaru, Tsunade did the same.

"It sure was! Welcome back Asuma, the academy has certainly noticed your absence!" She said and Asuma bowed. "And I see one of your apprentices has already been found!"

At that, Asuma raised his head and looked at the woman concerned. "What of the rest? Are they here in Kingsbury?" He asked nearly in a plea. Tsunade shook her head.

"Master Gai is missing and so are most of the apprentices of your age!" She said turning to look at Naruto with a gleam in her eyes. The boy felt uncomfortable just as Kosei was. "This is why I called you here!" She said suddenly.

"And we thought you would congratulate us, ttebayo!" Naruto whine holding his hands behind his head but Kakashi put his own on Naruto's head to silence him.

"Is this why the war isn't ending?" Kakashi asked and Tsunade nodded.

"It is certainly one of the reasons, but I don't want you to think about that now!" She said and raised her hands, "Rest now and please, do enjoy the festivities for King's Day!" She urged them. Kakashi stepped forwards capturing her attention and she rested her eyes on him once again. "What is it now?"

"I want permission to rebuild my castle," he said and the woman shrugged as if she wasn't interested in any of it, "with the Fourth's plans however!" Kakashi spat and at that Tsunade's eyes widened.

"A flying castle?" She exclaimed and was about to say something when he stepped even closer to her.

"I plan to let it to my apprentices, if you understand what I mean!" He said and Tsunade's eyes darted from him to his apprentices and more specifically Naruto. Her lips formed a grin and she saw that Shizune too agreed to what the man was saying.

"Very well! But you must take on the responsibility to find the missing members of the Konoha Academy!" She negotiated and without even thinking of her request, Kakashi bowed and walked back to the rest of the party. "You may leave now to rest!" Tsunade released them and they all walked back to the entrance of the gardens until Tsunade hit her stick on the floor. "Not you Kosei san!" She said and Kosei stopped in her tracks and almost immediately turned to see the Madam smiling.

Kakashi was at once by Kosei's side as well, "What do you want to talk to her about?" He asked and Tsunade frowned.

"I didn't say Kakashi, I said Kosei and she certainly didn't ask for your help!" Tsunade Sama said. Kakashi stared down at Kosei but she ignored him as she was curious and willing to see what this woman had to say to her. Kakashi seeing that he had no other choice; he simply bowed again and was out of the room along with the rest of the group minus Kosei.

Once they were all gone, Tsunade motioned for Kosei to come closer and the latter did as she was told. "I feel as if you have a question for me, I cannot let you go without answering or you might hate me!" She said and Kosei's eyes widened at the fact that this woman feared she would be hated. But in truth she did have a question for Tsunade.

Taking a deep breath Kosei tried to consider what she would say so that she wouldn't sound hostile. "That peep bug? My mother couldn't have possibly just happened to carry one; did you give it to her?" Kosei asked her.

"I did!" Tsunade answered.

"Why did you? How did you make her do it? My stepmother may be in a world of her own but she cares about her family dearly!" Kosei asked again since that was the one detail that she couldn't get a hold of.

"I threatened her that your life and your sister's would depend on it!" She said and Kosei felt herself grip the fabric of her skirt. "I apologize to you for the immorality of it but if I had to I would do it again!" She said.

"You just couldn't believe that we could do it, could you?" Kosei nearly spat at her and the woman smiled.

"I believed in your will from the moment I met you Kosei san, but you have to understand I cannot protect my people with will alone!" She explained and at that Kosei's expression softened. She was right, of course, in their kingdoms kings were ornaments but the Magisters were truly in charge due to their powers. "I don't know what you plan to do with your life but if you are interested there are places for you at the Academy, you could learn proper magic!" Tsunade suggested and that was another thing that startled Kosei. She shook the thought away however.

"I'm too old to start with magic, perhaps a few tricks on instant cleaning would do!" She joked and Tsunade chuckled.

"Don't say no, think about it and let me know whenever the time comes!" Madam Tsunade told her and then dismissed her just as she had done with the rest. When she went outside, Kakashi was waiting for her along with Naruto. Kosei smiled as she saw how worried they looked.

"What did she tell you?" Kakashi asked her and Kosei shook her head.

"Nothing important," She replied and then looked at Naruto. "Where did the others go?" She asked.

"Master Asuma took Konohamaru for sweets and Sakura chan went home to her parents while Sasuke…well he must have wandered back towards his home." Naruto said with a low voice. Kosei could tell that he seemed alone.

"Well then, how about we go and meet my sister, she will give us sweets and all you want for free!" Kosei suggested and saw how his eyes lit.

"You are the best granny, ttebayo!" He beamed and Kosei frowned. _Granny?_ She wondered and simply sighed before looking at Kakashi who seemed amused. "Kakashi sensei, are you coming too?" Naruto asked him but the man had his book magically appear in his hand and shook his head.

"I should go and find those plans; we have little time before we head off again!" He informed them and Naruto chuckled.

"More for us then," He exclaimed taking Kosei's hand and dragging her out of the palace, "See ya, Master Kakashi!"

Kosei got the feeling that something was bothering Kakashi and yet she didn't know whether she should ask him or not. Instead she let herself be dragged by an excited Naruto out of the castle before she felt her hand hurt. "It's okay Naruto, you don't have to run." Kosei smiled at him. "Now where do we find a door to take us to the Wastes?"

"We have those at the Academy, come with me!" He told her and not letting go of her hand, they walked to the next palace like building which resembled the King's own home. Inside there were red tapestries with the symbol of Konoha and portraits of previous Magisters or other important people such as well known wizards and witches that had made a difference before.

Kosei didn't see many people inside and was about to ask Naruto of it but then she remembered what Shikamaru had said. "Who was this masked wizard?" She asked and felt Naruto still for a second.

"Ah, he was someone very powerful that attacked Kingsbury and caused a lot of destruction! We all went to the point that we had to escape with important information on our backs but some members of Konoha just went missing." Naruto said with his voice filled with sadness.

"Did you lose a lot of friends, Naruto?" Kosei asked and the boy nodded.

"But it's alright; I will find them all and bring them home again!" He said with a grin before they stopped in front of a door that wasn't occupied. They were in a room filled with doors and Kosei realized how it was that Tsunade's henchmen were able to find them so quickly all the time. They were in the Wastes in no time and Kosei recognized the place they had entered as the Town Hall.

No one paid attention to them as they walked and no one had wondered how it was that they had just sprang out of nowhere. Naruto sensing her confusion at this chuckled and answered her thoughts. "They are used to it; they know wizards need to have access to every town in the kingdom!" He said and at that Kosei sighed. So many things she had learned in such a small amount of time.

"Alright, let's go to my sister now! I'm sure you'll like her!" Kosei urged him and this time she was the one to pull him around with her around town. Fortunately they were already in the central square there where in its alleys she had met Kakashi which only meant that Cesari's was near enough.

The roads weren't crowded that day but there were people preparing for King's Day by moving around ornaments and tables where food would be stored. Music could be heard from somewhere and Kosei guessed it was probably the musicians practicing for the celebrations.

When they arrived at Cesari's however, the shop was full as always but Kosei managed to catch her sister's eyes from behind the counter. Kurenai leapt from joy and waved at her when Naruto yelled and Kosei turned to him. The boy was pointing at a table where Asuma and Shikamaru were sitting eating and drinking. Kosei and Naruto approached them.

"What are you doing here?" Naruto asked them and Shikamaru sighed.

"Troublesome!" He hummed but Asuma smiled awkwardly and put down his…flowered cup of tea.

"This is my favorite place so I brought Shikamaru here to remember old times!" He said and Kosei smiled as Naruto took a chair for her and himself.

"That's lovely, my sister actually works here…oh there she comes!" Kosei said as she saw Kurenai run to her in her red dress and white apron. She looked even more beautiful if it was possible. Kurenai ran to Kosei's embrace and Kosei noticed Asuma redden. He instantly rose to his feet and took his hat in his hands.

"Where have you been? Do you have any idea how worried I've been?" Kurenai demanded looking at Kosei quite sternly. "I came by your shop and all I know is mother saying you have a cold and when I came to take care of you, you were nowhere!" She said, "I thought some evil wizard had kidnapped you!"

"Kurenai, please I'm alright! I will tell you everything tonight!" Kosei told her cupping her face to calm her.

"You're coming to my place tonight!" Kurenai said pointing a finger and then she noticed Asuma staring with his face blushed and his hands holding his hat. Asuma nearly gasped as she noticed him and he bowed.

"Asuma Sarutobi, my lady! I am a friend of Kosei san here!" He said and Kurenai smiled.

"My, he is polite!" She mumbled to Kosei who grinned. "Kurenai Yuhi, Mr. Sarutobi!" She said and out of nowhere, Asuma had a poppy appear in his hand. He offered it to Kurenai who gasped with wonder a she saw it. "How did you know it's my favorite?" She asked him and he placed a hand behind his head.

"I would come often here; a year ago and I noticed that you carried one or two with you every day!" he said and she chuckled.

"Well then, I'm so pleased I will give you a round of the best chocolate and it will be on me!" Kurenai said watching at all of them and she was about to leave when Asuma called on her again. She turned with a raised eyebrow.

"Um, lady Yuhi, may I take you out for tea?" He asked her. Kosei was impressed and so was Naruto but Shikamaru seemed bored and out of place as he simply tried to enjoy his cake. He sighed. Kurenai smiled and nodded.

"I finish at eight tomorrow, come by and we will go somewhere nice!" She said and with that she was off. Kosei smiled and sat down on her chair.

"He hasn't been a scarecrow for a day and already he gets himself into trouble!" Shikamaru whined and Kosei chuckled.

"You're not wrong with that, my sister is trouble indeed!" She said.

Asuma sat down seemingly shocked that she had accepted and Kosei could almost hear his heart beating even though she was sitting nearer to Shikamaru than him. Kosei put her hand on his to calm him. "She likes fireworks by the way and I know there will be a firework show by the hills tomorrow night!"

"Thank you Kosei san, truly!" He said and then all of them waited for the maids to bring them what they had ordered.

Once they were done, Kosei let Naruto return to Kingsbury with Shikamaru and Asuma since she had strict orders from her sister to stay and wait for her. As she waited for her sister to finish with her work, Kosei wandered around for a bit as the sun was about to set. She thought that after so much time, this was the first normal day she was having and yet she didn't feel bored like those other times before she had left Market Chipping.

By sunset, Kurenai was ready and together they walked home hand in hand just as they used to do when they were little. Kurenai lived in the outskirts of the Wastes which were far from Market Chipping and that was the main reason why Kosei had been unable to visit before. At least now they were in the town center and they could easily take the bus that would take them just outside Kurenai's little home.

"You look different!" Kurenai mumbled to Kosei as she rested on her sister's shoulder on the ride back home. Kosei chuckled. "No, really! You seem happier!" Kurenai told her and Kosei thought back on her life.

"I've had an adventure Kurenai!" She murmured taking a deep breath. "I never thought my life could be anything more than making hats that would never be meant for me to wear!" She spoke softly.

"I want you to tell me everything!" Kurenai mumbled seemingly close to sleep.

"Well it all started the day I came to visit you…"

0o0o0o

A few hours later, both Kosei and Kurenai were under a blanket in Kurenai's bed, both dressed in shirts and drawers which were more comfortable than a simple shift. They had a lamplight on and giggled at everything that Kosei would tell her about her little adventure.

"You mean you had to drag him naked and put him into a bathtub?" Kurenai exclaimed, shocked at the revelation. Kosei blushed and her face became hotter.

"Ma, Kurenai, do you have to remind me all the time? I told you so many things and yet you are still there!" Kosei whined and Kurenai chuckled.

"I just can't imagine the scene!" She sighed and then leaned closer to Kosei, "Hey, so how was he like?" She asked and Kosei's eyes widened.

"THE HELL ARE YOU ASKING ME?! HOW SHOULD I KNOW?!" Kosei roared and threw the blanket off as she felt the need for air. "Seriously, nee chan, you scare me sometimes!" She said and saw that Kurenai was holding her stomach from laughter.

"I don't know why you have to be so embarrassed about! Aren't you a little curious? Besides you're in love with this man!"

"WHO SAID I AN IN LOVE WITH HIM?" Kosei yelled and Kurenai was about to tell something when they heard a soft noise like a knock on the window to their room. Kosei and Kurenai both froze and wondered who could it be at that time. "I'm going to see who it is!" Kosei said and stepping out of bed she approached the window slowly afraid that it might be another lunatic running around and leaving curses just because he could. Remembering her anger towards Orochimaru she felt more determined and went to open the window as another piece of stone fell on it.

When she looked down she saw that it was Kakashi himself. As he noticed her, he put his hand to his hand in salutation. "Yo, Kosei chan!" He said and Kosei suddenly remembered that she was wearing practically nothing so she covered herself.

"Baka, what are you doing at this time outside?" She asked him her voice filled with annoyance and yet she was secretly happy to see him. Kurenai came to the window as well curious as to whom Kosei was speaking.

"Domo, madam!" Kakashi greeted her too from the where he was.

"Aaaah, is this the man you were talking about?" Kurenai waved at him while speaking to Kosei who was mortified at what Kurenai said as she knew that he would hear.

"Kosei chan, have you been speaking about me?" Kakashi asked from the road and just because the girls were in the fourth floor they were all shouting to hear better.

"Baka I was just saying how annoying you are!" Kosei turned red and could almost feel Kakashi smirking under his mask. He took his hat in his hands to show respect and shrinking it, he put it in one of the pockets of his coat. Taking a leap, Kakashi jumped to the girls' level so that they wouldn't have to shout. He floated there before them and Kosei gasped as she went to cover her sister but then she had to do the same with herself.

"Now now, don't look so horrified, Kosei chan! We have seen plenty of each other either way!" Kakashi said and Kosei felt her eyes twitch.

"Oh my so you have seen it after all!" Kurenai told Kosei who didn't seem to be able to take a break.

"Huh? Seen it?" Kakashi hummed and once again mortified, Kosei placed her hand to her sister's mouth to shut her up.

"Ehehe, she is just tired and speaking nonsense!" Kosei said. "She means your face!"

"Oh my face! Kosei chan nearly collapsed when she saw my face!" He teased, "I guess I am that handsome!"

"My, I think I will go make some tea!" Kurenai suddenly said and taking on a coat she went downstairs leaving Kosei alone with Kakashi. Kosei sighed since she knew her sister had gone away on purpose. She turned to Kakashi who was still standing outside the window.

"You scared my sister!" Kosei said looking like a stubborn child but Kakashi only grinned. Kosei could tell that much even though he was wearing that mask.

"I don't think it was that, I think she was helping you stay alone with me so that you can seduce me!" He said cockily and Kosei narrowed her eyes.

"Why the hell would I want to seduce you? You know I think I liked you better when you didn't have a heart!" Kosei spat. She could feel her eye still twitching as he kept provoking her. Chuckling Kakashi leaned towards her to the point that Kosei had to step backward. He stepped inside in a swift manner took her hands and fell on her to the floor and kept her there. Kosei looked up to him with wide eyes and a red blush creeping up her neck and face. "You have to be more convincing, Kosei chan! You say you don't want to seduce me but you keep blushing like that!" He hummed from on top of her and it only made things worse. Feeling embarrassed enough she tried to yank her hand free but she didn't have enough power to do so. "I'm not letting go if you don't answer me one question?"

"And what, pray tell, is your question?" She asked half annoyed since she didn't want to admit she was having any kind of fun. Kakashi could tell though and this was what amused him even more.

"Why don't you want to become an apprentice?" He asked and she gasped. He wasn't supposed to know and yet he seemed to know everything so she shouldn't be surprised.

"That is none of your business!" She hissed and tried to free herself once again but Kakashi persisted even more. He held her hands above her head so that she wouldn't move and he asked again. "What's it to you anyway?"

"You don't understand!" He mumbled. "I think you should come with us in our next task!" He said calmly and Kosei stopped fighting for a second. "The kids, they like you and you could learn some things with them…" he said looking away but then turned to her looking serious. He leaned down and spoke to her as in a whisper, "plus I don't think you would survive without seeing my face!" at that Kosei gritted her teeth and considered that if she couldn't move her hands she would move her legs but he had her still in a second. "You still haven't answered!" He noted as she was fuming.

"Baka, aren't you too old to be playing games like these? If you want me to come just ask and perhaps negotiate like all normal old people do!" She said trying to suppress her irritation.

"Kosei chan, that's not a very nice thing to say! I should punish you!" He teased and she reddened once again.

"You idiot! Don't say things like that! Pervert, let me go already!" She yelled.

"Are you coming with us to wherever we are going?" He asked again through her efforts.

"No!" She spat.

"Ah then we might be standing like this for a while! I wonder whether your sister will mind." He put a finger to his chin pretending to think but all Kosei wondered was how he could still hold her down with one hand. She gave up and sighed and Kakashi turned back to her knowing that he had won.

"I will come with you, and no I am not doing it for you!" She said and Kakashi got up, dragging her with him. Kosei patted herself to fix her undergarments not feeling embarrassed anymore. "You will have to tell me why you really want me to come though and what is it that I don't understand eventually!" She said and saw that he had frozen to his place as she said it. It felt like a small victory if she were to be honest to herself. "Sometimes it's not a bad thing to let go and it hasn't have to be in a perverted way!" She hummed as she got a coat from Kurenai's clothes.

"Can you wait until I find the right way? I'm not used to these things! Until yesterday I didn't have a heart." He told her and she nodded. "I knew it you wanted to come for me! Ah well I can't be helped!"

"That's not it I just-"Kosei was getting worked up again, "Stop teasing me!" she spat and Kakashi blushed as he smiled. Kosei was funny when she was angry.

"Then if that would be all…" Kakashi sighed and walked towards the door that led to the first floor of Kurenai's home. She had rented it from an elderly couple leaved on the two first floors of the building and Kurenai would take care of them sometimes when their children were away. "Kurenai sama, would you mind if I stole your sister on an adventure?" Kakashi shouted loud enough for Kurenai to hear. Kosei gasped and looked around trying to find a way to escape but she couldn't very well jump from the window.

"Now wait a minute…"

"Of course Kakashi san, but please keep her safe?" Kurenai's voice was heard from downstairs loud and clear and Kosei couldn't help but feel betrayed. As Kakashi turned, Kosei simply looked at him.

"Um, the door is that way!" She pointed towards the stairs but he only approached her.

"Where would the fun in that be?" He asked and swiftly wrapped his arm around her waist. "Hold on tight!" He advised her and blushing she did as he was told, gripping his shoulder as he jumped from the window and off to the sky just as that first time when she had met him. Only this time Kosei didn't feel afraid and it made her giggle. She felt Kakashi pull her closer as he stretched his other hand forming what looked like a seal and in an instant they were not in the Wastes but up the hills. Kakashi jumped to the nearest tree and then they found themselves up once again.

"Where are we going?" She asked and looked up slightly blushing at the image of him. Kakashi noticed and smiled at her.

"You'll see!" He told her and just as promised the image of the castle came into the horizon only it wasn't moving like it was before. This time it was flying. Kosei remembered that Kakashi had asked earlier that very same day for the plans to make something like what she was seeing in front of her. The metallic masses and wooden ones were all back together in one place only this time floating through the clouds.

"OI! KOSEI CHAN!" Kosei tried to see better from where they were and noticed Naruto and Sakura waving at her. Grinning she waved back. They were in some sort of garden and from what she saw even Yamato was there standing close to Sasuke.

Kakashi brought them down and Kosei was approached by Sakura and Naruto. "Say, granny are you coming with us?" Naruto asked her and Kosei let go of the fact that he had called her granny once again. She nodded.

"Not only that, she will be learning things too!" Kakashi let them know and they smiled at her. "Yosh, now that we are all here we can continue!" He said as they noticed the sun finally rising penetrating them with its blinding light. Kosei felt home again and didn't even notice the blushing boys standing next to her. "As I thought, you are trouble Kosei chan!" Kakashi whined and she raised her eyebrow. "That coat is covering nothing if you should know!" He said and Kosei gasped as she saw that she hadn't dressed properly before she left Kurenai's home.

"Golly, why didn't you tell me, baka?" She yelled at Kakashi as she ran inside to find anything with Sakura following her.

"Granny do you know how to make ramen, ttebayo?" Naruto asked following them both inside.


	11. Chapter 11

p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"strongspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"Hi everyone! I will be posting the rest of the story on AO3 under Lily_23 if any of you are interested! Thank you for reading it and I am sorry for any incoveniences caused!/span/strong/p  
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